


Unfinished Business

by ZellieAlmasy



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Bickering, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Mercenaries, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:57:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4444343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZellieAlmasy/pseuds/ZellieAlmasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the Second Sorceress War, Zell returns to Timber to fulfill Garden's contract with the Forest Owls, only to find that the resistance has gained an unlikely new member.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

As soon as Zell heard that the Headmaster had a mission for him, he dashed to the elevator.  Everything had been so boring since they defeated the sorceress.  The world was finally at peace, which was good, but as a mercenary, finding good work was difficult when there were no warring nations who needed military support.

He entered the office and gave Cid the usual salute.  "Heard ya got somethin' for me!" Zell said with a bright grin.

"Yes, it has been brought to my attention that we have a contract that has been left unfulfilled," Cid explained. "Three years ago, the Timber Forest Owls hired SeeD to aid their resistance, I'm sure you remember.  The contract states that it shall remain in effect until Timber gains its independence.  However, that goal has yet to be achieved."

Zell's expression immediately faded into a frown. He had a very good guess as to who decided to bring up this old contract, which left him to wonder why they didn't just finish the job on their own. "So just send Squall and Rinoa!"

"Squall is busy with his leadership duties here in Garden, and Rinoa, of course, is the client.  You understand how poorly that would reflect on SeeD's reputation if we instructed a client to handle her own contract."

Zell couldn't argue that, but he wasn't about to give up just yet. "What about Quistis, or Selphie, or... or ANY o' the new graduates?!  I was new when ya sent me!"

If someone spoke this way to a superior in any other military establishment, he would be severely disciplined.  Headmaster Cid, however, had always been a little too soft on his students, especially the ones who were raised in his wife's orphanage.  They had reached a sense of familiarity over the years, so he didn't mind as Zell took such a casual tone.

"I would prefer to send someone from the original squad.  The contract does also specify that no replacement of any SeeD can be made.  However, Selphie and Irvine are occupied with their work at the new Trabia Garden, and Quistis has taken on instructor duties once again, so that leaves you.  I believe your status was, as you said, 'bored'?"  Cid smiled politely at Zell and continued, "There is a farmer in Winhill who has complained of Bite Bugs destroying his crop.  I planned on sending the new recruits, but if you'd rather I reassign them to Timber--"

"NO!!"  Zell immediately cut in.  "Er, no, Sir!  I'll go to Timber!"  Even if the Forest Owls were disorganized and unprofessional, Zell would take that option over swatting bugs off some corn any day.

It was strange, he realized as he sat alone on the train ride across the ocean.  The way Cid presented the mission, it sounded like Rinoa just happened to remember the contract, rather than the Owls reaching out to SeeD for support. Zell figured that such a small group would eagerly remind SeeD of their contract as soon as the war was over.  Maybe they disbanded?  That theory made much more sense than imagining Zone and Watts holding the resistance together all on their own.

As Zell approached their headquarters - a generous term for their run-down little train car - he quickly found that their operation was, in fact, still alive and well.  He had expected to be greeted with relief or joy at having a SeeD finally return to support their efforts, but instead, Zone greeted the mercenary with confusion as he welcomed Zell onto the train.

"Zell?  It's good to see you, but what brings you all the way out to Timber?"

Zell cocked his head to the side, thrown off by the greeting.  Did they already forget about the contract?  "I'm here to fight with you guys!  You're still our client, remember?"

"Of course!  It's just we weren't expeting Garden to send any backup, but hey!  Two SeeDs are better than one, right?"

 _Two_  SeeDs?  What was Zone talking about?  Zell arrived alone.  Before he could question it, a familiar voice spoke up from the stairwell.

"I thought I heard clucking out here."

Zell's head snapped up, eyes widening in shock.  "SEIFER?!!"  He hadn't seen his old classmate since the war.  Not sure what to expect, Zell took a defensive stance.  "The hell're YOU doin' here?!"

Zone looked between the two in confusion. "Isn't he with you?"

"Such a shame," Seifer continued, "that SeeD would just abandon a client like this.  I thought they could use my help instead."

Zell could feel the heat rising to his face.  "You can't trust this guy!  He's with Galbadia!!"

"Old news, chicken wuss.  I'm a Forest Owl now."  A smirk slowly spread over Seifer's face as he casually leaned against the wall.  "Guess that makes me your boss."

"NO WAY!!!"  Zell shouted and turned back to Zone.  "I'm NOT workin' with this guy!"  And then to Seifer again, "If you think this is gonna win Rinoa back, it's too late!  She's with SQUALL!!"

Unamused, Seifer just looked at Zell with a raised eyebrow.  "Please.  I was over that years ago."

Zell was running out of accusations.  Clenching his fists, he glared angrily at Seifer.  "I'm callin' Squall and tellin' him you're here!"  
  
Suddenly, Zone cried out with a pained shout. He winced, gripping his stomach as he crouched on the ground. Seifer used the opportunity to get in the last word and end the argument.

"Do what you want, chicken wuss," he sighed and gave a nonchalant wave as he turned to leave.

This was too unreal.  Zell could hardly believe it was actually happening, that Seifer, of all people, would volunteer to help a ragtag group of rebels out of the kindness of his heart.  "Kind" and "generous" were not words that Zell would ever use to describe Seifer.

Zone's stomach pains conveniently alleviated as Seifer left the room. Hoping to make the situation somewhat less stressful, he attempted a topic change.  "So, uh, some things have changed since you were last here!  How about I show you around?"

As much as Zell hated the fact that he had to work with Seifer, of all people, there wasn't much he could do at the moment except deal with it and do his job like a good, professional mercenary. Even if he did go crying to Squall, Zell knew it wouldn't matter. Garden had plenty of resources to hunt him down on their own, if they really cared to.

With a sigh, Zell resigned himself to this fate and followed Zone through the door just to the left.  The last time Zell was here, it was a mostly empty room, except for a table with a very shoddy model train set.  Now, the walls were covered in news articles and notifications.  There was a dry erase board covered with arrows and various other illustrations - some sort of plan, no doubt.  The table still sat in the middle of the room, but it was covered with a large map of the Galbadia region.  It was stuck with pins to mark various locations, while other spots were marked off with red X's.  It was surprisingly more professional than Zell remembered.

"Welcome to our command center!"  Zone beamed, gesturing widely throughout the room.

"Whoa, cool!"  Zell grinned.  He paused to study the map, impressed by their organization.

"That was Seifer's idea, actually," Zone said, nodding to the table.

Zell looked up with a frown, regretting that he unknowingly gave his approval to something Seifer had done.

"A-actually, most of this is 'cause of him!" Zone stammered, hesitant to mention their newest member around Zell, considering they didn't appear to be on the best of terms.  However, he hoped that he could somehow prove to the SeeD that Seifer really did mean well. “We hit a Galbadian supply caravan last week. Got some good equipment from them! I don't think we could've done it without Seifer.”  
  
“It's all right, I guess,” Zell replied with a casual shrug, not wanting to show too much enthusiasm for Seifer's achievements. Though, he never was good at hiding his emotions, and it was already quite obvious that he was impressed.  
  
Zone led him out of the room and up the stairs into the back of the train. The first room on the left was about the same as he remembered, with a couch for resistance members to relax and various control panels lining the room. Watts stood from where he was sitting and gave the two newcomers an enthusiastic salute. “Sir, welcome back, Sir!!”  
  
“Yo!” Zell grinned, responding with a friendly wave. “So what's next? What happened to Rinoa's room?” It's been so long, he wondered if they bothered to keep any of her belongings in hopes that she would return someday.

"You, uh, probably don't want to go in there,” Zone replied. “It's Seifer's room now."

Well, wasn't that nice.  Not only did Seifer join the Forest Owls, he had apparently been given the "Princess" room.  Zell snickered quietly to himself at the idea of making Seifer into a princess.  He'd have to remember that comeback for the future.  
  
They barely had a moment to relax when Seifer appeared in the open doorway, rapping lightly on the wall to get their attention. “Command center,” he ordered and proceeded down the stairs to the indicated room.  
  
Reluctantly, Zell followd the others back to the command room. Seifer leaned forward against the head of the table while Zone and Watts gathered around, attentively waiting for instruction. Zell crossed his arms, leaning against the wall in the back of the room as Seifer began to speak.  
  
“Now that SeeD has been so gracious as to uphold their contract, I think it's time we get our next operation under way.” Seifer paused to spare Zell a little smirk, letting the jab at SeeD sink in. Zell defiantly stuck his tongue out at Seifer.  
  
“In our last mission, we picked up some decent gear, including uniforms. I say it's time we disguise ourselves and hit one of their military bases. Here.” He pointed to one of the pins stuck into the map. Glancing up towards Zell again, he added, “Don't worry, chicken wuss. Turns out one of the uniforms we picked up is a women's small. That should fit, right?”  
  
Zell pushed off the wall, jumping upright. “You... ASSHOLE!!”  
  
“Zone?” Seifer straightened up, folding his arms as he maintained eye contact with Zell. “I need you to get on the radio with Balamb Garden. The SeeD they've sent us is extremely unprofessional.”  
  
“OWWWWW! Ow ow owwww!” Zone cried out, gripping his stomach again.  
  
“Sir!” Watts called out in concern as he hurried to tend to Zone.  
  
Meanwhile, Zell continued to glare angrily at Seifer, yet remained silent for now. He was fairly certain that Seifer was only bluffing about calling Garden, but he didn't want to take that risk.  
  
“That's what I thought.” Seifer cocked his head back, looking down his nose at Zell. “Zone, how's that stomach?”  
  
With a deep breath, Zone slowly nodded as he stood up straight once again. “Fine. I'm fine,” he replied, steadying himself against Watts.  
  
“So here's the plan,” Seifer returned attention back to their mission. “A garrison of soldiers ship out tomorrow morning. We put on the uniforms, slip onto the train, and they'll take us right into their base. Once we're in...” He gave a casual shrug. “Just take 'em out.”  
  
“What for?” Zell piped up.  
  
Seifer snorted derisively. “Have you been asleep this whole time? We're the resistance. We're fighting Galbadia for Timber's independence. So, we hit their base.”  
  
“Winning your independence is more than just pickin' fights!” Zell finally stepped forward, joining the others at the table. “Trash one army base, so what? They're just gonna send in more guys to replace whatever they lost.”  
  
“Guerilla warfare, chicken wuss,” Seifer explained. “We hit when and where we can, and exhaust the Galbadians until they're tired of us. Should be easy for you. Being a pain in the ass is your specialty.”  
  
At this rate, Zell wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself from sucker-punching Seifer. “I AM NOT!!”  
  
“You're doing it right now, actually.”  
  
“That's just 'cause you--!!” Zell huffed, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Augh, FINE!! Whatever! We'll do your stupid plan. Are ya done?”  
  
“Meeting dismissed,” Seifer replied, giving Zell a condescending wave goodbye. “See you in the morning, chickie.”  
  
“Jerk,” Zell grumbled under his breath as he followed Zone and Watts out of the room.  
  
While he was working for the Forest Owls, Zell was to share quarters with Zone and Watts in their safe house. It was all so unfair. How did he get crammed together with two other guys while that _asshole_ scored his own private room on the train car?  
  
Zone helped set Zell up with his own bedroll, and he tried his best to get enough rest for tomorrow's mission, but he couldn't help tossing and turning throughout the night. He hadn't even been in Timber for a full day and was already wishing for this mission to just end. At least with Seifer on their side, maybe Zell could fulfill the contract and finally return home sooner than originally expected.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Owls' new support from SeeD, Seifer decides to take on a Galbadian military base. Four guys against the Galbadian army - what could possibly go wrong?

The next morning, Seifer reluctantly dragged himself out of bed.  He never really was a morning person to begin with, and now he was stuck working with Zell, who had always been way too loud and energetic at all hours of the day. But the Owls had a big mission today, which took priority over Seifer's feelings about working with Zell. He slowly made his way to the wash basin and started cleaning himself up.

Unexpectedly running into one of his old classmates was particularly unpleasant for Seifer, since it opened up old wounds he thought he had overcome long ago.  That loudmouth chicken wuss nearly ruined everything for Seifer.  Thank Hyne he had built up a decent enough rapport with Zone and Watts this past year that they weren’t overly alarmed by Zell bringing up his past mistakes.

It felt like a kick in the teeth, but Seifer managed to keep his cool, as always.  Though, he was somewhat wary of SeeD’s presence here with the Forest Owls.  For once, Seifer had something he actually cared about.  If he were to be completely honest, the politics behind all this hardly mattered to him, and he absolutely wasn’t doing this for Rinoa’s sake, as Zell so tactlessly accused.  Rather, he saw it as a means of redemption.  Seifer deeply regretted the damage he caused, though he would never openly admit that. Helping the Owls liberate Timber was finally something good he could fight for.  He really didn’t care what Zell, or anyone at Garden thought of him.  This was all for his own sake.  Selfish, maybe, but Seifer needed to prove to himself that he was more than just a traitorous bully.

If this were to be taken away from him, he didn’t know where else he could go.  There was always Fujin and Raijin, but they decided to continue pursuing careers as respectable Garden mercenaries.  They were reluctant to go on without Seifer, of course, but he insisted.  He refused to drag them down with him more than he already had.  That look on Zell’s face yesterday reminded Seifer why he could never return to Garden.  Whenever someone looked at him, that’s all they’d ever see - the sorceress’ Knight.

A traitor.

For a moment, he wondered if maybe having Zell here could be a good thing, in a way.  Maybe he could prove his good intentions, after all.

Seifer squashed that train of thought as soon as it entered his head.  “To hell with what they think,” he snarled aloud at his own reflection as he finished washing up.

Once he was finished getting dressed and ready, he made his way over to their command room.  Just as expected, Zell was already there with Zone and Watts.  They had been going through the loot from the previous raid as they waited for Seifer.

“Looks like the princess is finally up!“  Zell .grinned at Seifer, looking quite pleased with himself.

What was that about?  Probably a reference to Rinoa’s old room, if Seifer had to guess.  He simply raised an eyebrow at Zell with an unamused expression on his face.  “Just get your equipment ready.”

The team slipped into their Galbadian soldier uniforms.  There were extra weapons for Zone and Watts, and Zell, of course, preferred to remain unarmed.  When Seifer holstered Hyperion to his belt, however, the SeeD decided to speak up again.

“Yo!  You can’t take that with us!"  Zell frowned, gesturing to the gunblade.

Seifer just rolled his eyes.  "I’ll do whatever I want, chicken wuss.”

“You an’ Squall were the ONLY gunblade specialists in Garden!  If someone sees that, our cover’s blown!”

“Thank you, Dincht, for volunteering."  Before Zell could question what that was supposed to mean, Seifer yanked him by the jacket to stand beside him.  Positioned like this, the gun-shaped handle was blocked enough to make it appear like an ordinary sword.  "You get to be my shield. Better make sure nobody notices.”

“AW, C'MON!!"  Zell whined.  "Make Zone do it, or Watts!”

“Zone and Watts have guns.  I need them to hang back and provide cover fire, if we need it."  In truth, Seifer mostly just enjoyed antagonizing Zell and he knew the mercenary would hate this.  "Believe me, you’re the last person I’d want to be stuck with.”

Once everyone was equipped and ready, Seifer gave Zell a smack on the shoulder and led the way out of their base.  The helmets covered most of their faces, but Zell’s disgruntled frown was left uncovered, much to Seifer’s amusement.

The group arrived at the station and easily fell in line with the soldiers waiting to board the train.  They filed into the car, so crowded that it would be difficult for anyone to notice the weapon in Seifer’s holster, but he still kept his teammates close at hand.  It was an uncomfortable ride, being packed so closely together.  Seifer was jabbed several times by Zell, who found it impossible to sit still, as usual.  Other than that, the little chicken wuss actually managed to behave himself and not draw any attention.  Impressive.

The train finally came to a stop and the soldiers disembarked to go about their duties.  The Forest Owls regrouped and slipped away into the base.

After following Seifer around for a moment, Zell spoke up once there wasn’t anyone around to hear.  "Do you even know where you’re going?”

“Does it matter?"  Seifer snorted.  "Find someone who looks important and take ‘em out.”

“Yeah, it matters!"  Zell was hushed by all three of his companions.  He concentrated on speaking more softly as he continued, clearly agitated.  "It matters, ‘cause if this place is anything like the missile base we hit, they might have a self-destruct button!”

Seifer came to a halt, folding his arms over his chest as he loomed over Zell.  “If they decide to blow themselves up, I fail to see how that’s a problem.”

Before Zell could answer, a commanding voice interrupted.  “You four!  No loitering in the halls."  A red-suited elite soldier stood in front of them, looking quite displeased.  "What’s your assignment?”

Seifer clapped Zell on the back, causing him to stumble a couple steps ahead from the rest of their group.  “I think you were just about to relay our orders.  Why don’t you explain to all of us?”

Zell visibly tensed as he was put on the spot.  Stunned, he looked between Seifer and the soldier.  “I– We were just–” he stammered.  Out of their little group, Zell was probably the worst liar.  He couldn’t believe Seifer put this on him so suddenly.  “Control room!  We’re headed to the control room!”

“For what business?"  The soldier skeptically folded his arms over his chest.  "Control shift change isn’t for another three hours.”

“O-oh!  Yeah!  I know that!"  Zell struggles, rambling along.  "We’re just going to, ah… well there’s this calibration… thing…”

While Zell continues babbling to the soldier, very easily blowing their cover, Seifer uses the distraction to move behind the soldier.  He unsheathed Hyperion and used the butt of the gun to whack the soldier on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.  Zell jumped and gasped sharply as the soldier suddenly crumpled to the floor.

“That’ll do, chicken wuss,” Seifer smirked as he condescendingly patted the top of Zell’s helmet.

Zell couldn’t frown any harder if he tried.  “Geez, ya could’ve warned me!”

Seifer didn't care to explain how warning Zell – in front of the soldier, no less – would entirely defeat the purpose, so he just rolled his eyes and grabbed the soldier by the arms.  “Zone, Watts, find an empty room where we can hide him.”

“Yes, Sir!"  The two quickly jumped into action and didn’t take long to find an isolated corner where they could dump the unconscious body.

For a moment, Zell thought to make Seifer carry the soldier all by himself, but he knew the faster they finished this, the better.  He didn’t want to get caught again, so he grabbed the man’s feet and together they dumped him in a supply closet. 

"So now what?"  Zell huffed, putting his hands on his hips.

"No more arguing.  We do what I say,” Seifer ordered and motioned for the others to follow.  He knew Zone and Watts would do as they were told.  It was Zell he had to worry about.  Their arguing already got them caught once.  Thankfully, it was against just one soldier, but it could have been much worse.  Seifer didn’t care to risk blowing their cover further, so he turned his back before Zell could complain and continued down the hall.

He kept his eyes forward as he led the way, looking for any key locations in the base that might be useful to sabotage.  As he walked, he noticed a pleasant silence following him.  He idly wondered if Zell got left behind.  If the little chicken wuss wanted to get himself caught, it was nothing for Seifer to worry about.

At least, that’s what Seifer wanted to think.  Sure, Zell was often annoying, but that didn’t mean he deserved anything bad happening to him.  If he did get caught, it increased Seifer’s risk as well, so he spared a glance over his shoulder and counted three blue uniforms following him, just as expected.  Zell was easily identified by the very obvious pout beneath his helmet.  Seifer couldn’t hold back a little smirk at that grumpy expression.

 _"What?”_   Zell snapped.

Seifer shrugged and continued forward.  “Nothing.”

“You gave me a look!"  Zell insisted.

"I was surprised that you’re actually capable of shutting up, for once,” Seifer replied.  “But apparently good things can’t last forever.”

Zell simply huffed and continued sulking silently as they passed another small group of soldiers.  There seemed to be even more people in the area as they continued forward.  More soldiers meant more danger, but Seifer liked it that way.  Safe was boring.

They finally reached what appeared to be some sort of main operations center with desks and computers throughout the room.  The Galbadians were all busy at work, but as Seifer’s group strode through the area, they began to look up, sensing that something was off.  Some noticed the gunblade holstered at Seifer’s hip, but before they could do more than point, the Owls reached the front of the room.

“Okay, everybody,” Seifer announced as he removed his helmet and unsheathed Hyperion.  “This is our base now."  Zone and Watts followed suit, also revealing their identities, though they were nowhere near as notorious.

"It’s Almasy!"  One of the soldiers cried out as they all scrambled to battle-ready positions.

"Are you CRAZY?!"  Zell shouted, also throwing off his own helmet.  If they were going to fight, he didn’t need anything obstructing his vision.  However, as one of the few who saved the world, Zell’s tattoo made him easily identifiable as well.

"SeeD is here too!  Get the Commander!!”

“Now we’re talking!"  Seifer held his gunblade at the ready.  "Go bring your Commander over!  And send for backup while you’re at it.  You’re gonna need it.”

The attack suddenly began without further delay.  Zone and Watts took cover, firing at the Galbadians while Seifer and Zell jumped into the heat of the battle.  Seifer easily took down a handful of grunts before a larger group attempted to gang up on him.  Even as a Cadet, Seifer had always shown an impressive aptitude for combat.  After his time serving as the sorceress’ knight, it was easy to see that he had only grown much stronger and had no trouble facing opponents while he was greatly outnumbered.

It was somewhat of an odd feeling, fighting against the Galbadian army.  He was once their Commander, but now he was their feared enemy.  At least it made fighting them easier, since they hadn’t changed their tactics very much in the last few years.

During the battle, Seifer took every opportunity to smash and wreck every piece of equipment in the room.  A quick glance in Zell’s direction showed that the SeeD was doing the same, though likely not on purpose.  Zell liked to act like a boy scout, but Seifer could already see it in his face that he was having just as much fun in this battle.

Before long, they managed to clear the room of enemies, and new arrivals were bottlenecked at the door.  Only a few soldiers could enter the room at a time, which made it much easier for the Owls to take on a significantly larger force.  Zone and Watts kept most of them at bay, firing through the door.  The ones that did make it through were quickly greeted by the flash of Hyperion’s blade or a fist cracking them in the jaw.

However, a fully-equipped army had plenty more tactics than fruitlessly sending wave after wave of soldiers to their doom.  The flow of battle was suddenly disrupted by a heavy metallic-sounding THUNK in the middle of the room.

"Grenade!"  Seifer called out in warning and immediately dove for cover.

Zell, on the other hand, impulsively ran towards the explosive and chucked it right back at the enemy.  The grenade exploded just as it passed through the doorway.  Seifer would never openly admit it, but that was surprisingly impressive.

"Everyone, move!"  He commanded, charging forward before the dust could settle and the soldiers could gather themselves back together.

The hall just outside of the room was cleared out by the blast, but as they pressed on, more soldiers filed in.  Being in such a narrow space made it much more difficult to fight their way out, but at least it prevented the soldiers from completely surrounding them.  Zone and Watts provided what cover fire they could in such a confined area, so it was up to Seifer and Zell to clear the path to their exit.

If anyone had told Seifer that one day, he'd be fighting an entire garrison of soldiers side by side with the chicken wuss, of all people, he would have laughed in their face. But as they continued to fight their way past wave after wave of soldiers, Seifer couldn't help but feel an odd sense of camaraderie with Zell. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline pumping through his body, but he was starting to enjoy having a little sidekick around. Their height difference even worked perfectly for combat. Seifer slashed widely with his blade while Zell ducked under his arm, sweeping his leg beneath soldiers coming at them from behind.  
  
Zell popped back up with an uppercut to one of the soldiers, but got caught up in a one-on-one fight with another. It was the perfect opportunity for one of the Galbadians to attack him from behind. An enemy sword came right down towards Zell, but instead of flesh, the blade met the harsh clang of steel as Seifer stepped in the way with Hyperion.  
  
“Left yourself open, chicken wuss,” Seifer smirked as he held his ground against the Galbadian, shoving the soldier backwards.  
  
“Shut up!” Zell snapped, yet remained standing at the ready, back-to-back with Seifer. “I knew that guy was there!”  
  
“So your plan was to get stabbed in the back? Interesting strategy.” He smirked as he parried a few more incoming attacks.  
  
Instead of shouting back, Zell was oddly silent in response. Curious as to what was going on behind him, Seifer found a moment to quickly glance over his shoulder just in time to see the body of one of the Galbadian soldiers flying through the air. The man sailed past Seifer and knocked right into a cluster of his own comrades, knocking over the entire group.  
  
“HAH!!” Zell grinned with a triumphant fist pump. “How's THAT?!”  
  
Seifer merely shrugged it off with an unimpressed snort. “Showoff.”  
  
The Forest Owls finally managed to fight their way to the exit. Just as they thought they were home free, they ran out to the motor pool to be greeted by another entire garrison and a gigantic armored tank, led by the base commander and a handful of other elite soldiers.  
  
“Well, ya DID tell 'em to get reinforcements...” Zell groaned.  
  
“First to take down that tank wins.” Without batting an eye, Seifer welcomed the fight, rushing headlong into battle.  
  
Zone and Watts found cover, just as they did before, firing at the soldiers from a distance. Zell, however, held back for a moment. Seifer was as reckless as always. Four men against a tank? It was a wonder Seifer hadn't caused Zone or Watts serious injury by now. Though Zell tended to prefer an up-close fight, he knew they were going to need heavier firepower to take on that tank. He clenched his fists in concentration and summoned forth the Guardian Force he had brought for this mission.  
  
A fiery vortex materialized in front of the Galbadians to reveal Ifrit, who unleashed a deafening roar at the enemies. With one swipe of his claws, he nearly took down an entire row of soldiers. The tank fired at the GF, but it barely made the creature flinch. Ifrit simply responded with some fire of his own. He generated a searing hot ball of flame and launched it at the soldiers before disappearing again in another wisp of fire.  
  
“W-wow...!! That was amazing, Sir!” Watts called out to Zell.  
  
Seifer glanced back at them specifically so they could see him rolling his eyes. “Cute. I remember my first GF.”  
  
The blow didn't completely eliminate all the soldiers or the tank, but at least it was enough to make this much easier on the Forest Owls. The remaining enemies were seriously weakened and easily dealt with. Seifer managed to cut the tracks on the tank while Zell even managed to kick a dent into the main gun. The machine wasn't destroyed by any means, but it was at least damaged enough to allow the four to make a quick getaway.  
  
They ran to a military vehicle that was far enough away from combat to remain in tact. Seifer hopped behind the steering wheel while the others piled in, but he quickly noticed something very crucial was missing.  
  
“Keys. Someone find the keys. Quick!”  
  
Zone and Watts looked dumbfounded. They had no idea where the military would keep their keys to a vehicle like this. Zell checked the glove box and found nothing, but he had a better idea. The martial artist gave Seifer a little shove and reached over his lap. “Outta the way!”  
  
“Watch it, chicken wuss...” Seifer snapped, swatting his hand away.  
  
“We don't need keys, but I gotta get down there!”  
  
Seifer skeptically eyed Zell for a moment, thinking how ridiculous this idea was, but he didn't have any other ideas. “Fine,” he agreed with a sigh as he removed himself from the driver's seat. “But hurry up.”  
  
Zell leaned over, reaching beneath the steering wheel. After a moment of fiddling around with the wires, there was a brief spark and the vehicle whirred to life. “Done!” He sat up, grinning proudly at Seifer.  
  
“How does a goody two-shoes chicken wuss like you know how to steal a car?” Seifer raised an eyebrow back him as he sat down again behind the wheel.  
  
“I used to help work on cars back in Balamb, sometimes,” Zell explained. “If I didn't join Garden, the mechanic was gonna take me on full time. I'm real good with machines!”  
  
Seifer simply made a soft noise of approval as he drove off the base. It was funny to think how the two of them had grown up together – all those years of picking on Zell – yet there was still so much he didn't know about the guy. Maybe Zell wasn't just a crybaby chicken wuss like he always thought. The SeeD did prove himself to be more than capable during their assault. Seifer hated to admit it, but having Zell around was turning out to be a good thing.  
  
Once they were far enough from the base, Seifer momentarily idled the car to allow them to shed their Galbadian military gear, revealing the plain clothes they had all worn underneath the uniforms. The evidence was abandoned in the middle of nowhere, and they continued the rest of their trip back to Timber.  
  
After an attack like that, Seifer knew they would have to lie low for a while. They left the car a few miles out from the town and walked the rest of the way to the train yard where their base of operations remained parked. They boarded their little train and rode it north to the station just outside of Dollet. With their base parked safely away from Timber, the rebels left the train and made their way into town, eager to relax and celebrate their victory.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIIIIINALLY got this out! It took me a while because my usual style is just oneshots, or I'll wing it as I go along, but if I intend to carry this out, I really want to know where this is headed, so I don't mess it up or anything. So I did some planning and thinking, and I finally have a good feel for where I'll be taking this, and I'm super pumped now to get things really going!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Forest Owls spend their victory celebrating in Dollet, but Zell has a little trouble falling asleep.

The group made their way directly into town and easily found a small hotel just off the main road where they rented four beds for the evening.  Once they had been given their rooms, they all gathered in the lounge downstairs to share a celebratory round of drinks.

Zell clanged his glass bottle against the other three, took a giant gulp, and made a horrible face as he swallowed down the bitter liquid.  "Ugh, gross!" 

"Don't tell me that's your first beer," Seifer snickered, easily drinking from his own bottle. 

"NO WAY!!"  Zell quickly denied.  "I've had some sips before!  I just don't like it!" 

"Want me to order you a kiddie cocktail?" 

Zell huffed and forced down another gulp of beer, trying so hard not to cringe.  "No, I'm _fine._ " 

"Of course you are."  Seifer just patted Zell on the shoulder without pressing the issue any further.  If the chicken wuss wanted to make himself miserable by drinking something he hated, then it was no concern of Seifer's. 

"I still can't believe you threw that grenade back at the soldiers!"  Zone cut in, drawing attention back to their celebration. 

"And your GF was so strong!" Watts added. 

"Aww, it was nothin'!"  Zell sheepishly grinned as he scratched the back of his head.  "And the thing landed right next to me, so I figured it was faster to throw it than to run away!" 

"I don't know, Sir, there's not many people who'd run towards a live grenade." 

Hearing all the compliments directed at Zell caused Seifer to clench his drink a little harder.  "It was stupid," he grumbled. 

"Oh, come on, you have to admit it was pretty cool."  Zone gently nudged their leader.  "Gave us the perfect chance to move forward!" 

Seifer slammed his beer down on the table a little harder than he meant to.  "It was idiotic.  What if that grenade blew up right in your hand?"  He gave Zell a hard glare as he spoke. 

Zell sat upright and opened his mouth, ready to argue, but suddenly paused as he considered Seifer's comments.  "Are you _worried_ 'bout me?"  He tilted his head, somewhat dumbfounded. 

"Don't flatter yourself."  Seifer lounged back in his seat, taking another gulp from his drink.  "The contract says Garden won't replace any SeeD.  So if you kick the bucket, that's it for us." 

"Aww, Seifer!!"  Zell grinned widely.  "Ya really do care!" 

Seifer rolled his eyes.  "I really don't." 

"You act all tough, but I bet you're just a big ol' softie!"  Zell laughed, and Zone and Watts joined in. 

"Shut up, chicken wuss." 

Zell ignored him and continued, "And you even saved me from that one soldier!  You literally got my back, so...  Thanks, Seifer."  He raised his drink again, offering another toast. 

Seifer narrowed his eyes as he looked back at Zell, but eventually decided to accept, clanging the bottles together.  "Don't look into it too much." 

He tilted his head back, chugging what was left of his drink.  Setting the empty bottle on the table, he added, "Watts, grab us another round." 

"I'd be happy to, Sir!"  Watts eagerly hopped up from his chair. 

"Oh, grab me a soda, please!"  Zell chimed in before Watts could run off to the bar.  He still had a little more than half his beer left, but he had been taking such small sips.  Even then, the drink was barely tolerable. 

Since Zell didn't care for his beer, Seifer grabbed the SeeD's bottle as they waited and invited himself to finish off the drink.  Instinctively, Zell sat upright, almost about to complain, but he quickly realized that Seifer may as well have it, or else it would go to waste. 

"So how come you're here with the Forest Owls?"  Zell asked, resting his chin in his hand.  "I figured you'd be...  I dunno.  Not helping people?" 

Seifer raised an eyebrow at Zell, but decided to just ignore that last remark.  "I'm here because I felt like it." 

"Yeah, but why Timber?  You could've gone anywhere." 

"Doesn't matter why," Zone chimed in.  "We're just glad he turned up when he did!" 

That answer wasn't quite enough to satisfy Zell's curiosity.  The Seifer he knew was a bully and a troublemaker, yet somehow, he always managed to keep a little posse of followers.  For the longest time, Zell never understood why anyone would follow a guy like that so eagerly, but looking back on their recent mission, he was starting to see Seifer in a new light.  Even years ago during their SeeD exam, Zell had come to realize that maybe Seifer wasn't the worst leader after all.  He might have been extremely reckless, but in the end, Seifer made the right call attacking the communications tower, and today he made the right call going after the army base.  He always acted so callous, but Zell was starting to realize that Seifer did have his own way of caring, after all. 

Seeing that side of Seifer was really weird, but also kind of nice.  This was probably the longest they had gone without shouting or insulting each other.  Zell could definitely get used to that.  He glanced over at Seifer thoughtfully, unaware of the little smile that started to spread over his face. 

Seifer's brow furrowed as he looked back at Zell.  "Why are looking at me like that?" 

"Like what?"  Zell tilted his head, smile spreading wider. 

Just in time to break the slight awkwardness, Watts returned with their beers and Zell's soda.  The four continued drinking together, excitedly talking about different moments throughout the day.  They laughed at Zell's fumbling over his words in front of the Elite Soldier, but it sure was cool when he threw that one guy at the other soldiers.  And when Seifer tossed off his helmet and challenged the entire army was just _awesome._

The evening went on, and several drinks later, their laughter eventually faded to yawns.  Watts swayed in his chair, but Zone and Seifer seemed mostly unaffected by their drinks.  Zell, being the only one who had soda, felt perfectly fine and awake, but if the others were heading up to their rooms, he thought he may as well go to bed too. 

However, Zell was unable to sit still.  Maybe there was some leftover adrenaline from the mission, or it was because the small mattress wasn't very comfortable.  But mostly, it was probably because of all the sugar in his drink.  Whatever the cause, Zell tossed and turned in his bed for what felt like ages.  He glanced at the clock and saw that it hadn't even been a full hour that he'd been lying awake.  Hoping to burn some of this energy, Zell decided to finally get up and go for a walk. 

He wandered out of the hotel and made his way down the road, heading nowhere in particular.  Zell hadn't spent much time in Dollet, but he doubted he could ever forget these streets.  The last time he was here, he didn't really have the time to appreciate the sights.  He had been too busy running for his life from a giant robot.  Now, he was able to really take in the view and appreciate the little things, like the cobblestone roads or the old-fashioned architecture of the buildings that lined the streets. Any damage from the battle had long since been repaired, yet there were still a few scars in some of the stone structures as evidence of the fighting. 

Eventually, Zell found his way to the town square.  He looked over the statue placed in the center of the fountain and the memories suddenly started flooding back.  This was the place his squad was assigned to hold during their exam.  It had been years, but Zell felt like he had only been here last week. 

A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye startled Zell.  He jumped, facing the shadow with a fighting stance. 

"Isn't it past your bedtime?"  Seifer smirked as he moved closer, unfazed by Zell's raised fists. 

The SeeD relaxed as soon as he realized the shadow's identity.  "I'm not tired yet.  What're _you_ doin' out here?" 

"Same."  He briefly fell silent, taking a few steps forward as he took in his surroundings.  At this hour, no one else was around.  There weren't even any stray dogs to get in their way.  The tall buildings blocked out most of the natural moonlight, but the street lamps lit the area well enough.  "Nothing's changed..."  Seifer finally spoke again, clenching his fists in frustration. 

"It's cleaner!" Zell offered.  "Now that there's no armies fightin' in the streets, I mean." 

The remark wasn't helpful.  Then again, there really wasn't anything useful that could be said, anyway.  So much in Seifer's life had changed.  He was so far from the young man with his romanticized dreams and ideals.  Yet here he was, standing in the same town square where he had stood so long ago, hoping to graduate and finally become a SeeD.  It was almost like he'd gone back in time.  But that was impossible.  Even if he could go back, he wasn't sure that he would do anything differently, anyway.  Despite the guilt he felt over the role he played in the war, he'd come to realize that Garden wasn't the place for him.  The sorceress was a way out.  She was the only one who didn't write him off as some problem child. 

Seifer hated thinking about the past.  There were too many conflicting feelings, too many mistakes...  But all this place did was bring back every bad memory Seifer wanted to just forget. 

The prolonged moment of silence felt odd.  "Seifer?"  Zell curiously eyed the other man, slowly approaching.  "You feelin' all right?" 

Seifer instinctively turned to Zell with a glare.  "I don't need you patronizing me." 

"Wha--?!!"  Zell jumped back, taken off-guard by the sudden lashing out.  "I wasn't!  I'm just tryin' to, y'know, just talk?  I guess?  If you want, I mean!!" 

"This may be shocking to you, but not everybody feels the urge to constantly flap their tongues.  If I wanted to talk, I'd talk." 

"Okay, geez, I was just tryin' to be nice!"  Zell huffed, folding his arms over his chet. They fell silent again for just a moment until Zell broke the peace with soft laughter. 

"What now?"  Seifer snapped. 

"Sometimes you really ARE just like Squall!" 

Without hesitation, Seifer turned on his heel and started to walk away down one of the roads leading away from the square.  "I'm leaving." 

"No, c'mon, I didn't mean it in a bad way!"  Zell scurried after Seifer.  In an odd attempt at a peace offering, he added, "Y'know what?  I think it's kinda messed up they didn't promote you to SeeD.  Ya made the right call that day, and me an' Squall graduated.  You were our captain, and you're a real good fighter, so you should've made it too." 

Seifer came to a sudden stop, angrily turning to face Zell.  "Do you _ever_ just shut up?" 

Zell folded his arms over his chest with a huff.  "Well how am I supposed to know what's gonna upset you if ya never TALK to me?!" 

With a heavy sigh, Seifer ran a hand through his hair.  "Fine, you want to know how I feel?  I'm glad I failed the exam." 

The shocked look on Zell's face was priceless.  Seifer's scowl faded to an amused smirk as he continued walking at a leisurely pace, allowing the SeeD to follow.  "Looking back, I don't know why I even wanted to be a SeeD in the first place.  If I had graduated, who knows where I'd be?  Just another drone following orders?" 

"HEY!!"  Zell huffed as he followed along.  "I _like_ bein' SeeD, 'cause I get to help people!" 

"If that's what you gotta tell yourself to sleep better at night..." 

"We DO help people!  Like when we stopped Ultimecia!  Or now, I'm here helpin' you guys, right?!" 

Seifer rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  Even after everything that's happened, it was amazing that Zell could still have such a positive outlook on the work he was doing for SeeD.  "Believe whatever you want.  If I graduated, I'd still be stuck serving whoever could afford to order us around.  But now, I'm free to do anything I want." 

"Yeah, but ya still decided to get involved with SeeD business, anyway," Zell pointed out. 

"This has nothing to do with the old contract.  To be honest, I thought SeeD was long done with their involvement in Timber." 

The conversation brought Zell back to his original question that he asked earlier - why the Forest Owls?  But he didn't want to risk pushing too far.  Talking with Seifer so honestly for once was kind of nice.  Even a loudmouth like Zell knew that being too nosy might get Seifer to shut him out all over again. 

As they spoke, they found themselves wandering past the town limits onto Lapin Beach.  Finally, here was a part of Dollet that Seifer almost couldn't recognize - the only place that looked different.  Without all the soldiers and boats lining the coast, the beach actually looked peaceful.  There was no shouting, no gunfire... Just the soft churning of the waves as they lapped onto the shore. 

Satisfied with these surroundings, Seifer paused and sat down in the sand, looking out to the sea.  In the dead of night, the ocean was almost entirely black, except for the soft sparkling of the stars on the water's surface.  Without waiting for an invitation, Zell plopped right down next to Seifer, looking over at him expectantly. 

Those beers must have affected Seifer a little more than he realized - at least, he assumed it must have been the alcohol's fault - because something about Zell's wide-eyed expression made Seifer feel a bit more generous with the information he decided to share.  After taking a slow, deep breath, he continued, "Fuu and Rai are over at Galbadia Garden, but I couldn't go back.  There wasn't anywhere else for me to go, so I thought the Forest Owls might need a hand.  Do something right, for once." 

There was a moment of hesitation before Zell replied, "You're not a bad person, you know." 

This was the first time Seifer openly admitted this to anyone, and of all the reactions he had anticipated, he would have never guessed anyone would say those words to him.  He shook his head with a derisive snort.  "How can you say that?  You, of all people.  Even before the sorceress, I've only ever given you shit." 

"Yeah, well, I give it right back!!" 

Seifer looked over at Zell with an amused expression.  "Of course you did."  He reached over, ruffling that chicken-feather hair. 

"Hey, watch it!"  Zell shouted, swatting the hand away. 

Seifer chuckled quietly and sat forward again.  He actually never truly disliked Zell.  Even with all the teasing, it was just for amusement.  Annoying as Zell could be sometimes, and even if teasing wasn't really the greatest way to treat someone, Seifer was suddenly hit with the realization of how often Zell managed to make him smile, even if it was usually at the chicken wuss' expense. 

They fell into a comfortable silence, and Seifer lost track of time as stared out at the ocean.  Before long, he felt a gentle push against his side and he looked over to see that Zell had fallen asleep, using Seifer's shoulder as a pillow.  It was late, and Seifer knew they should return to the hotel, but Zell looked so peaceful, he thought maybe he could wait a little longer before waking him. 

The cool sea breeze brushed over Zell's arms and legs, creating goosebumps over his skin.  Still asleep, the SeeD automatically nuzzled closer to Seifer, looking for warmth.  The gunbladist sighed and pulled his jacket around Zell as a cover to shield him from the cold night air. 

Somehow, "just a moment longer" turned into several hours later.  Seifer thought he had only rested his eyes for a moment, but when he finally opened them again, he was staring directly upward with the back of his head nestled in the sand.  The sky was already starting to turn lighter, and the first rays of sunlight were just visible over the horizon.  Zell was still asleep with his head rested on Seifer's chest, and a bit of drool had pooled onto Seifer's vest.  Gross, yet Seifer couldn't help but smile softly at this rare moment where Zell actually appeared quiet and peaceful. 

He carefully began to sit up, yet the movement still managed to wake Zell.  The SeeD yawned, rubbing at his eyes as he slowly sat up.  "Mmph.  Time s'it?" 

"Early.  We should get back to the hotel."  Seifer stretched, bones popping as he pulled himself to his feet and extended a hand to help Zell up as well. 

They suggishly walked together through town as they returned to the hotel.  They separated and went to their own individual rooms with a few hours still left until they had to check out.  However, Seifer was still exhausted when he finally met up with his three teammates in the lobby.  Zell, of course, was still a bundle of energy somehow. 

One night away from Timber ought to be enough, Seifer decided.  They returned to their base and drove the train back into Timber.  When they finally reached their stop, they were greeted by a very anxious-looking young boy who dashed to their platform, motioning for them to disembark. 

"Hurry!  Come quick!"  His tone was urgent and the look on his face gave all four rebels a terrible sinking feeling. 

They left the train and quickly followed the boy into town.  He led the group right to their safe house, or rather, what _should_ have been their safe house.  Instead, they returned to find it a smoldering, burnt-down wreck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one got up a lot faster because I knew what direction I wanted to take this and I accidentally stayed up all night writing it instead of sleeping, oops. I really enjoyed writing this one because my favorite thing about this pairing is their banter and dialogue, and then CHARACTER GROWTH, HNNNGGGGG. Hope you enjoy 8);;


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seifer launches a retaliation against Galbadia, but Zell has misgivings about this hasty attack.

The charred walls of the safehouse looked so faded, it was a wonder they were able to remain standing.  Several wooden beams were left exposed, and most of the ceiling had caved in.  Judging by the smell of ash and faint embers still smoldering among the ashes, it seemed that the fires only died out fairly recently.

"Galbadians," explained the boy who led them here.  "They were looking for ya, but no one knew where ya were.  Few other houses got trashed til they figured out which was yours."

Even before the boy spelled it out for them, it was easy to figure out what happened.  Most of the town were members of some sort of resistance group, but hardly any of them were very active.  These were innocent people.  As for the safehouse, it was meant to look like just another normal home, so it was maintained by honest citizens only loosely tied to the resistance.  Seifer tightly clenched his fists as he looked at the ruined building, finding difficulty in holding back his anger.

"Is everyone okay?"  Watts asked, voice filled with worry.  "Was anyone in the building when they attacked?"

"No, thank Hyne.  Anyone who was in there ran out when the Galbadians attacked," the boy explained.

"Those... ASSHOLES!"  Zell shouted.  Unable to contain his frustration, he slammed his fist into the ground, leaving small cracks and crumbles in the pavement.  "They think one wrecked building is gonna stop us?!"

"They're showing they're not afraid of us," Zone chimed in.  "And they don't care about collateral damage."

"But what do we do then?"  Watts frowned.  "There aren't enough of us to attack while still defending the town."

"They can't hold Timber hostage!"  Zell huffed.  "These are innocent people!"

"Shut.  Up."  Seifer finally cut in, snarling through his teeth.

Sensing their leader's tension, the others instantly fell silent, except for Zell, of course.  The SeeD looked up at Seifer with a disgruntled frown.  "We're TRYIN' to figure out what to do next!"

"I'm ending this for good."  Seifer turned on his heel away from the building and headed back towards the train yard.  Zone and Watts paused to give each other uneasy glances, but followed Seifer anyway.

Zell had no idea what Seifer meant by that, but it did not sound good.  He hurried after Seifer, having to jog a little to keep up with the other man's long,swift strides.  "How're ya gonna do that?"

"Just obey orders and stay out of my way."

Zell responded with a frustrated groan.  "Ya gotta GIVE the orders if ya want me to follow 'em!"

"Here's an order."  Seifer came to a sudden stop, turning to face Zell.  The expression on his face made it clear that he was in quite a bad mood.  "Quit your clucking, and get back to the train."  Without another word, he continued making his way back to base.

Surprisingly enough, there was no protest from Zell.  Though, it wasn't just because Seifer told him to be quiet, but rather because Zell was mostly confused by this sudden fit of anger.  What the soldiers did to the town was terrible, but it wasn't like Seifer to care about random strangers.  Zell had assumed that the ex-knight joined up with the Forest Owls just to have an excuse to go out looking for fights, but now, seeing him like this...

Maybe there really was more to Seifer.  Not to mention, Zell did wake up just a few hours ago with his head on Seifer's chest and that big, gray coat wrapped around him.  It felt surprisingly comfy.  In that brief moment, Zell had easily forgotten all the shouting matches they'd gotten into in the past.  A faint rosy color spread over Zell's face as he thought about that morning and quickly forced himself to think about something else.

He needed to focus on Galbadia, he reminded himself.  Think of strategies for how to win Timber's independence.  This was no time to be distracted by how warm it felt bundled up in Seifer's jacket, surrounded by the faint smell of gunpowder and musk.

 _No, quit it!_  Zell told himself while slapping a hand against his forehead, as if to physically knock the thoughts from his head.  This was _Seifer_ , after all!  Seifer, Garden's notorious bully, who had only ever pushed Zell around.  There was no reason these ideas should even begin to enter his head.

The group finally returned to their train car, and thankfully, Zell's attention returned to the present.

"Get this train powered up," Seifer barked.  "We're taking it straight to Deling City."

Just as instructed, Zone and Watts obediently ran to the engine room and soon after, the train chugged to life.

"Wh--  NOW?!"  Zell startled backwards, his entire body reacting in surprise.

"Don't question me, Dincht."  Seifer turned his back on Zell and entered their command room.

Of course, Zell wasn't about to give up so easily.  He followed Seifer and continued, "We JUST got back from a mission.  D’you even have a plan?!"

With a heavy sigh, Seifer leaned forward over the table in the middle of the room.  "We don't need one.  Head straight for the Presidential Residence, take out as many soldiers as you can along the way."

"That sounds like a BAD idea."  Zell frowned, shaking his head.  "We didn't get any time to regroup or strategize or anything!"

"That's why we strike now.  They're not expecting us.  We'll catch them off guard."

"But--!!"

Before Zell could continue with his protests, Seifer slammed a fist down on the table.  "I'm in charge here, Dincht.  If you can't follow orders, then go back to Garden."

"I'm not goin' anywhere!"  Zell planted his feet firmly on the ground as he stubbornly folded his arms over his chest.

There was a brief pause as Seifer tightly clenched his fists, keeping his eyes lowered.  "We should have come back here," he said through his teeth.  "Instead of running away to Dollet, we should have been _here._ "

Noticing the tense mood, Zell tilted his head to the side, unsure how to respond.  "Seif?"  He hesitantly took a couple steps forward.  "You, uh... You okay?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Seifer replied in a very unconvincing tone.  "Now get the hell outta here."

"Already told ya," Zell shook his head as he closed the remaining distance between himself and the table.  "I'm not goin' anywhere, so if you wanna talk or something..."

Seifer finally glanced up, narrowing his eyes at Zell in a cold, silent stare.

Before Seifer could protest, Zell continued, "Y'know, maybe it's best we weren't here.  Could've been worse.  There'd be more fighting, and who knows how many people might've got caught up in it?  No use blamin' yourself."

Seifer took a moment to consider Zell's suggestion.  He never expected that of all people, the chicken wuss would be the one offering him support.  Instead of storming off in frustration, Zell chose to stand by Seifer, surprising him with a willingness to break past the ex-knight's hard exterior.  No one cared to do that for Seifer before.  At least, not since Rinoa.

It was almost enough to make Seifer smile, but unlike a certain loudmouth, he had much better control over his emotions and kept a steady poker face as he replied.  "If you're trying to make me call off this attack, it's not gonna happen."

"That's not--!!"  Zell threw his hands up on frustration.  "I was TRYIN' to be nice, something YOU clearly don't know about!"

And there it was.  With a huff, Zell stormed away and left Seifer alone in his little command center.  There weren't many places to go on a moving train, so by default, he wandered over to the small common room at the top of the stairs.

Zell knew he should probably relax and save his energy for the inevitable fight, but sitting still had never been his strong suit.  It wasn't long before he began bouncing in place, throwing punches at thin air.

After a few minutes, the door slid open and Watts' voice cut in.  "Almost there, Sir."

Deling City wasn't very far from Timber.  Zell figured it wouldn't take them very long to arrive, so he wasn't surprised that they were already almost there.

"Hey," Zell spoke up as he took a seat, straddling the chair backwards with his arms folded over the back.  "What d'you think about this mission?"  Seeing the hesitation in Watts' expression, Zell added, "I mean, it seems WAY too risky, right?"

Watts shifted uncomfortably as he replied, "Seifer's been looking out for us.  He does take risks, yes, but we've always come out on top.  If he’s going, then I'll follow."

These guys were like Fujin and Raijin, version 2.0.  What was it about Seifer that earned him such unwavering loyalty from his posse?  “Y’know ya don’t have to do this,” Zell pointed out.  “If you, me, an’ Zone stay on the train, then--”  He cut himself off, reminding himself that this was Seifer they were talking about..  “Then Seifer’d run in anyway, without backup.  Dammit!”  Whatever he might have felt about his old classmate, Zell could never allow anyone to take on this fight all alone, even Seifer.

“Remember when we tried kidnapping the last President?”  Watts chimed in.  “Back when we first met.  Rinoa spent weeks on that plan, and even with the help of three SeeD, we still failed.”

“Exactly!  So how’re the four of us gonna do it this time, right in the middle of Deling City?!”

“Maybe Rinoa’s plan failed, but remember what happened after that?  When the President started his broadcast?”

Zell’s eyes widened at the realization of what Watts was trying to say.  “Seifer…  He did it!  All on his own, he busted outta detention, made it all the way to Timber, and he even got his hands on Vinzer Deling!”

“Exactly, Sir!”  Watts grinned.  “So, this mission might sound dangerous, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Seifer.”

There was no denying Seifer’s skill, and since the assault on the TV station, he had only grown stronger.  Zell grinned at Watts, already feeling more confident about the impending battle.  As the train slowly jerked to a stop, he stood up again and gave Watts a quick thumbs up as he started to make his way out of the room.  “You’re right.  We got this!!”

The two walked out into the hall just in time to intercept Zone on his way out of the conductor’s cab.  Seifer was already waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, Hyperion in hand.

“Last chance to stock up on supplies,” Seifer warned, but the others seemed to have already been prepared.

Zell double-checked his junctions while Zone and Watts made sure their guns were loaded with plenty of ammunition.  Seeing that everyone was ready, Seifer led the way off the train and through the station.

For a while, the group remained unnoticed, aside from a few odd glares the other pedestrians cast in their direction.  Seifer didn’t really care if they were stealthy or not.  His goal was the Presidential Residence, so there was no need to disturb any of the civilians on the way.  If any soldiers did decide to attack them, however, Seifer certainly wouldn’t object to a good fight.

Slipping through the crowds of people, the Forest Owls managed to make it all the central gateway of the city before any soldiers attempted to intercept them.  As they drew closer to the Presidential Residence, Seifer noticed that the streets seemed oddly clear of pedestrians and trolley cars.  Chances are the soldiers cleared out the area once the realized what direction the Owls were headed.  Expecting a fight, Seifer wasn’t even a little bit surprised as the Galbadian soldiers flanked them from both ends of the road.

It began as an easy fight against more of the same basic, bottom-level grunts that both Zell and Seifer had fought many times in the past.  They easily fought their way through this first wave of enemies, making their way closer to the Residence until the front gates opened to allow more soldiers out into the fight.

“Go, now!”  Seifer ordered as he rushed forward.  “Get inside before they close the gates again!”

The Owls disengaged from combat for a moment and made a break for the courtyard.  As the soldiers tried to block their path, Seifer shot a fireball ahead to help clear the way.  Zell managed to dodge any other soldiers that came at him, while Zone and Watts bashed their enemies with the butt of their guns.  As they finally made it inside the courtyard, the gates closed again behind them.

It was a bit odd that the Galbadians hadn’t fought harder to keep the Forest Owls out before closing them in.  Before anyone had time to consider this particular strategy, the courtyard suddenly flooded with soldiers and various mechs.  The Forest Owls were trapped with nowhere to retreat, but it was going to take a lot more than this to scare someone like Seifer.

“Is that all?”  The ex-knight smirked as he beckoned his opponents to attack.  “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Zell, on the other hand, felt his earlier misgivings about this fight quickly return.  It was almost like the Galbadians were expecting them to retaliate this way.  Their enemy had a plan, and Seifer didn’t.  Even still, Zell knew that this fight wasn’t impossible.  He did enjoy a good challenge, but being trapped like this did not feel good to him.  Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he took a fighting stance and braced himself for the wave of enemies that converged upon the Owls.

For Zone and Watts, it was difficult for them to keep a distance with their long-range weapons, but they managed to keep their backs to a wall and take some cover as they fired upon the soldiers.  It seemed that the enemy was more interested in the two veteran fighters, anyway.

With an opposing force of this size, Zell’s first instinct was to summon Ifrit again.  The GF loomed over his enemies, but this time, the Galbadians were prepared.  Mechs equipped with fire extinguishers immediately assaulted Ifrit as he shot fireballs at the soldiers.  The GF still managed to take out a decent number of enemies before he had to retreat, however, Zell could tell by Ifrit’s weakened condition, he wouldn’t be able to summon him a second time.

The Galbadians were _definitely_ expecting them.  The mechs were a clear indication of that.  From the beginning, Zell was against this plan, and from the looks of things, he was right to feel that way.  Hopefully they’d all make it out of here in one piece, if only so Zell could personally whoop Seifer’s ass for this.

But for now, they had to work together as a team.  For all their bickering, they worked surprisingly well together in battle.  The longer they fought side-by-side, the more easily they fell into a rhythm, coordinating their attacks.  For a time, Seifer even managed to provide cover for Zell while the SeeD worked on disabling a few of the mechs.

Despite their combined skill, however, they were still greatly outnumbered.  The soldiers managed to divide the two fighters, forcing them to fight groups of enemies individually.  There couldn’t be that many soldiers left, Zell figured.  They probably couldn’t fit too many reserves inside the building, itself.  All this fighting was starting to take a toll on Zell, but still, he pressed on, confident that they could still win this.

He fought as best as he could, until he felt a sharp pain in his calf as an enemy bullet shot through his leg.  “Dammit!”  Zell cried out, but still continued to fight, trying to keep his weight off that leg.  Even in this weakened state, the SeeD put up a vicious fight against his enemies, but it wasn’t long before he took a second injury as a Galbadian sword grazed Zell’s side, and then another slash swept across his back.  Zell staggered, trying to remain on his feet, but the blood loss had his vision starting to go hazy.

With nearly all his strength gone, Zell stumbled forward, just barely catching himself on the fall.  He anticipated another blow from his enemy’s blade, but instead, he heard a clash of steel above him just before the soldier’s body fell lifelessly just a few feet away from him.  It was the last thing Zell saw before he finally lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'know, I've honestly never been much of a fan of writing action (ttly prefer dialogue and relationship building and such), and I think that really shows, so sorry if those scenes seem a little... skimmed? I guess? But yeah. Sorry, Zell. I only put my muses through hell because I love them so much :,)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Seifer helps Zell in his recovery, the two start to grow a bit closer.

_Am I dead…?_ Zell idly wondered as he slowly regained consciousness.

It was possible. He remembered the ambush at the Presidential Residence, and the way he passed out in the midst of all those soldiers. It was very likely that he didn’t survive. At the moment, the surface beneath him was warm and soft. He could have been lying on a cloud peacefully in the afterlife. 

As Zell began to shift, however, his entire body ached, immediately disproving his “I am dead” theory. He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was not on a cloud, of course, but in a large, comfortable bed. The room, itself, was sparsely decorated, with not much else in it, aside from a couple dressers and long, black rectangular case leaning against the wall. Zell had seen one like it before it Squall’s dorm - a gunblade case. That gave him a major clue as to whose room he was in. 

Just as he was wondering where this bedroom's owner was, Zell turned his head to find Seifer slumped in an armchair next to the bed, gray coat draped over him like a blanket as he slept. The image brought a little smile to Zell’s lips, but it wasn’t long before his brain caught up to him with a million questions and reasons to be concerned. 

How did he get here? And why the hell was he in Seifer’s bed, while Seifer was seemingly banished to an armchair? Wincing in pain, Zell tried to pull himself upright. There was a sharp pang in his side where he was injured, causing him to gasp loudly. 

The noise was enough to rouse Seifer. After sleeping in such an awkward position, Seifer stretched, neck cracking as he tilted his head from side-to-side. “About time you woke up.” 

“How long was I asleep?” Zell asked, rubbing the sand out of his eyes. “What happened?” 

“Almost two days,” Seifer answered. His jacket had fallen into his lap, revealing various bandages and bruising over his body. “Knocked out by ordinary Galbadian soldiers? Looks like you’re getting rusty." 

"Hey, I--!" Zell accidentally twisted himself too roughly as he tried to face Seifer, and his sentence was cut off by another gasp of pain. 

"Lie back," Seifer instructed. "You need rest." 

Zell must have been really exhausted, because it almost sounded like there was a hint of concern in Seifer's voice. "Aw, Seif, I didn't realize ya cared!" 

The gunbladist responded with a scoff. "The contract was clear - no replacements. We can't afford you kicking the bucket just yet." 

"You could've left me behind, but you didn't. And you even gave me your bed!" Zell continued with a wide grin. 

"Stop smiling at me like that." Seifer rolled his eyes. "You look like an idiot." 

The SeeD's grin melted to a warmer, genuine smile. "Thanks, man. I mean it." 

Even Seifer couldn't hold back a brief smile in response. "Don't worry about it," he gave a casual shrug as he began to stand, slipping his arms into his jacket. 

"Wait!" Zell called out before Seifer could leave. "Zone and Watts. Are they...?" 

"They're fine. The Galbadians seemed more interested in you and me," Seifer answered. "We were able to use parts from those mechs you disabled to scale the wall and retreat." 

Zell gave a sigh of relief. Knowing that they all made it out alive, he glanced up at Seifer with a mischievous grin. "Told ya that fight was a bad idea." 

"You're lucky you're already half dead, Dincht," Seifer retorted, taking a step towards the bed, "or else I'd knock you out myself." 

"Hmph." Zell stretched again, this time more mindful of his wounds. "You WISH you could take me." 

With an unamused expression, Seifer set a hand down on the mattress as he leaned down, looming over Zell. His free hand slid over the smaller blonde's side and gently pressed against the sword wound. He made sure not to be too rough, but it still enough for Zell to flinch in pain. 

"OWW, quit it!!" He shouted while slapping Seifer away. 

"Uh huh. So tough." Seifer smirked as he stood upright and turned to leave once more. "Just relax and get some rest." 

Rest wasn't much of a problem for Zell. If he'd really been knocked out for that long, he already had plenty of rest. Relaxing, however, was already proving to be extremely difficult. Zell never cared to sit still. He always had to be up and moving, but now, that was impossible, unless he wanted to make his injuries worse. He laid back and stared blankly at the ceiling, already bored out of his mind. 

Though, he was starting to see how Seifer earned the others' loyalty. The guy really did look out for his allies. Never in a million years did Zell ever expect to wake up with Seifer at his bedside. No matter how Seifer tried to deny it, Zell could see that deep down, Seifer genuinely was concerned for him. 

Zell should have been grateful that they were finally getting along for the first time in -- ever, but oddly enough, he only felt more frustrated and conflicted. Hating Seifer was much easier. They'd yell at each other, maybe exchange a few blows, and then continue their own separate ways. It was a simple formula. But now? Zell had no idea what to think of Seifer. The few peaceful moments they've shared so far felt pretty good. He'd never say it aloud, but Zell was kind of hoping he and Seifer would be able to spend more time like that. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Zone entered the room with a brown paper bag and and a potion for Zell. The SeeD didn't need to open the bag to know what was inside. He'd recognize that smell anywhere. 

"Seifer said they're your favorite," Zone explained. Before he could finish his sentence, Zell already had shoved half of the first hot dog into his mouth. 

Zell's eyes widened in surprise that Seifer would even bother to show such consideration. His mouth was too full to thank Zone, so he simply nodded his head and gave a thumbs up before cramming more food into his mouth. 

"He said to make sure you drink that potion too." After a moment of hesitation, Zone added, "You know, Seifer would never admit it, but he really is glad you're okay. Just... don't ever tell him I told you that." 

Before replying, Zell took a moment to swallow his food, then looked over at Zone with a wide grin. "Nah, I won't say anything. Thanks, though, to all of you guys." 

"Don't sweat it," Zone replied as he headed towards the door. "Just give us a holler if you need anything." 

Once again, Zell was left alone in Seifer's room. At least now, he had hot dogs to help him occupy his time. It didn't take him very long, however, to gobble them down, along with the potion. 

After a few moments, Zell was already starting to feel some of the pain fade, but it was going to take a lot more than one potion to fully heal these wounds. He did have a small stock of magic junctioned, but Zell had always focused on training his physical fighting skills, leaving his magical abilities fairly weak. 

Just as Zell was about to try and see if he could stand, Seifer returned with a wash basin and some bandages. He noticed Zell slowly inching to the edge of the bed and glared him down as he set the supplies on the nightstand. "Going somewhere?" 

"Er... no?" The guilt in Zell's face made it obvious that he was lying. 

Seifer decided to let it slide, for now. "You're able to sit up. Good." He sat on the edge of the bed, twirling his finger to instruct Zell to turn around. "Let's see how you're healing up." 

"...Huh?" Zell just stared back at Seifer, dumbfounded. He understood perfectly that his bandages needed changing, but the fact that Seifer was the one to do it completely baffled him. 

"Turn around," Seifer said more slowly and sternly. 

"There's gotta be at least one nurse or medic around here," Zell replied as he moved to face away. 

"It's too risky," he explained as he carefully began to remove the SeeD's bandages. "The less the civilians are involved, the better. Safer that way for everyone." 

"Oh. Uh, thanks, then." 

The cool air felt good as Zell's skin was finally allowed to breathe once the bandages were removed. A moment later, a warm washcloth gently began to dab at the gash in his back. Zell sharply hissed through his teeth, at the initial sting, but it only for a moment. He was soon able to relax as the warm cloth continued to press against his skin. 

"Attacked from behind," Seifer scoffed. "What are they teaching you over there at Garden?" 

"I screwed up," Zell grumbled, too drained to fight. "Won't happen again." 

"It..." The washcloth lingered as Seifer showed a rare, brief moment of hesitation. "It was my fault. I should have listened to you." 

Zell was stunned. He knew it must have been so difficult for Seifer to openly admit something like that. Raising his eyebrows, he curiously glanced over his shoulder. "Seif..." 

"Don't make a big deal out of this, chicken wuss." Seifer dipped the cloth in the wash basin again and continued cleaning the wound. 

Smiling to himself, Zell faced forward again as Seifer continued his work. He felt as though he and his old classmate really were starting to grow a little closer. It was definitely a good feeling. 

As Seifer finished cleaning the wound, he broke the silence. "Looks like the potion helped." He began to carefully add a healing ointment over Zell's skin. "You should still keep the bandages on for a while longer, though." 

He redressed the wound, then shifted to move beside Zell. "Next." He gestured to the second injury. 

Zell leaned back, moving his arm to allow access to the cut. Seifer did the same for this wound, cleaning it with the cloth, then adding ointment. 

Being this close, Zell had no idea how he should feel. He was a bit surprised to see that the other man was capable of being so gentle. As he watched Seifer work, a smile slowly tugged at the corner of Zell's mouth, and he felt a faint tightening in his chest. 

_Oh no._ No, this couldn't be happening. This wasn't a crush. Not on _Seifer,_ of all people. Zell was probably just confused. He'd lost a lot of blood, and Seifer was being really nice to him all of a sudden, so it was probably just ordinary gratitude he felt, right? 

As Seifer started replacing the bandages over this cut, he suddenly paused, glancing up at Zell with a look of concern. "Did I hurt you?" 

Zell swallowed thickly, eyes widening in panic. "Huh?" 

"You're tense." Seifer slowly finished working on the bandages. 

"Wha-- Me? No. You are." 

That was weird, but thankfully Seifer didn't question it. He just raised an eyebrow and moved to sit further near the foot of the bed, resting Zell's leg on his lap as he worked on the third and final injury. 

"You're lucky the bullet went clean through." 

Zell made a face in response. “Leg’s still pretty stiff, though.” 

“It’s what happens when you get shot.” Seifer smirked as he finished cleaning the bullet wound. 

Once the bandage was replaced, Seifer stood up and began to gather up the medical supplies. As he started to leave, however, Zell called out again. “H-hey, do you, uh… Since I’m awake now and all, you want your bed back? I could get a hotel room or somethin’.” 

“No,” Seifer shook his head. “It’s too dangerous to leave you alone. We need to stick together right now.” It wouldn’t have been difficult for the Galbadians to find the Forest Owls, since this time, they decided to stay in Timber. Even though they had all taken injuries from the fight, Seifer decided it would be safer for the citizens if they remained in the town. 

Even still, Zell was surprised Seifer hadn't tried to relocate him to the common room, or wherever Zone and Watts were staying. All this generosity was so surprising, Zell felt it was only right to return what kindness he could. "Well, maybe we could, I dunno..." He shrugged, shifting awkwardly. "The bed's big enough to share." 

Seifer raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this sudden offer. "Did I hear that right? You want to sleep with me?" He gazed intently back at Zell, the corner of his mouth curling up into a smirk. 

"N-NO WAY!" Zell quickly protested the implication. "I was just tryin' to be nice, but forget it! I'll take this bed all to myself, then!" 

Ignoring the protests, Seifer just gave a simple shrug. "Be back in a few, chicken wuss." 

Zell flopped onto his good side with a groan, tugging the blanket over his face. Once again, he just had to open his mouth without thinking things through. Knowing Seifer, he most likely would take Zell up on the offer and relish in making every moment of it awkward and uncomfortable. However, Zell thought back to the evening on the beach and wasn't entirely sure that sharing a bed would be so awful, after all, but Zell knew that it would be so much worse if he let Seifer realize the truth that he really was starting to develop some sort of positive feelings for him. 

Just as promised, Seifer returned to the bedroom after just a few minutes. He left his coat on the chair and began to remove the rest of his clothing. Zell peeked over the blanket to see that Seifer had removed his own bandages, though not all his injuries had been healed. It was impossible to deny that his old classmate always had a nice body, but somehow the cuts and bruises added a certain rugged appeal. 

Zell didn't mean to stare, but he started to space out, allowing his eyes to linger a bit too long. As Seifer started to unbuckle his belt, he caught Zell's gaze. The martial artist quickly turned away, but it was too late. Seifer gave an amused snort as he spoke up, "Like what you see?" 

"Hmph! You wish!" Zell retorted, refusing to look up again. 

Seifer gave a soft chuckle, voice heavy with sarcasm as he replied, "Don't go breaking my heart now, Dincht." 

"Shut up, Seifer," Zell grumbled, keeping his back to the other man. After just a moment, he felt the mattress give way behind him as Seifer started to settle in. Zell secretly wanted another night nestled up against Seifer, but that first time was an accident. He didn't dare admit that's what he wanted, so instead, he scooted right to the edge of the bed, keeping as much space between himself and Seifer as he could. 

After a moment, Seifer shifted, propping his head up on his elbow as he glanced over at Zell. "Don't fall off the bed." 

"M'fine," the SeeD mumbled, still facing away. 

Seifer had no idea what to make of this. Sharing the bed was Zell's suggestion in the first place, and now he was acting like it was such an inconvenience. "We don't have to share if you changed your mind." 

"It's your bed," Zell shrugged. "Do what ya want." 

With a heavy sigh, Seifer laid back and tried his best to ignore Zell's odd behavior. "Get some rest." 

Zell tried his best to fall asleep, but he had already been knocked out for long enough. Though, it didn't take too long for Seifer to fall asleep. Since the fight, he didn't have much of a chance to rest properly. That armchair wasn't the most relaxing place to sleep. As Seifer's breathing became slower and more steady, Zell allowed himself to move away from the edge of the bed again and lie in a more comfortable position. 

Just as he was starting to doze off, Zell felt Seifer shift closer to him. A quick glance confirmed that the other man was still asleep. Zell's gaze lingered a bit longer than he intended. Seifer looked so peaceful. It was nice to see him this way for a change, instead of that smug, arrogant look, or his angry glares. Since Seifer was sleeping, Zell decided to take a chance and close the rest of the distance between them. If Seifer said anything about it in the morning, Zell figured he could just blame it on tossing and turning in the night. He tentatively rested his head against Seifer's shoulder, and when the other man didn't pull away, Zell relaxed, enjoying that sense of security with having Seifer this close. 

Once again, Zell started drifting off to sleep, though he never noticed the subtle grin tugging at the corners of Seifer's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter wasn't too rushed, but ahhh I was really looking forward to it. I definitely prefer writing dialogue and relationship development, so. Yeah!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions have consequences, and it's time Seifer finally answered for his mistakes.

The next morning, Seifer opened his eyes to see Zell nestled comfortably against him with his arm draped over the taller blonde's waist. Seifer's own arm was pinned down by Zell's body, but he didn't want to disturb Zell while he slept. His long bangs that usually defied gravity were tousled after spending so much time in bed. The messy look brought a smile to Seifer's face, and he couldn't resist gently brushing some strands of hair away from Zell's face. His hand lingered for a moment as he resisted the urge to trace his fingertips over Zell's tattoo, but he quickly pulled away once he realized how ridiculous these thoughts were.

However, Zell had already been awake for some time now. The martial artist was usually an early riser, but since he still had these injuries, he knew it would be pointless to get out of bed. Not that he wanted to, anyway. He was too comfortable snuggled up to Seifer like this, so he kept his eyes shut and enjoyed the moment. Though, once he felt those fingers graze through his hair, Zell gave himself away as an involuntary smile spread over his face. "Mornin'," he mumbled in a scratchy, morning voice as he slowly opened his eyes. 

Caught in what was supposed to be a very secret act of affection, Seifer's automatic response was to throw up his usual callous defenses, pushing Zell away like a knee-jerk reaction. "Get off my arm, chicken wuss," he grumbled, tugging his arm to himself. "If I knew you'd be breathing down my neck all night, I'd have taken that crappy armchair again." 

If this conversation took place before the start of Zell's assignment, he would have immediately taken the bait and jumped on the defensive, resulting in one of their usual shouting matches. But now, Zell knew better. Instead of immediately being shoving aside, Seifer kept Zell close while the other blonde was "asleep." That was a good sign, and it made Zell smile even wider, despite Seifer's harsh words. 

"Oh yeah? Guess that means I get the bed all to myself again, huh?" Zell's sentence was followed by a yawn as he took a moment to stretch. His body still ached, but not nearly as bad as before. 

Seifer wasn’t going to let Zell call his bluff. He dragged himself out of bed and quickly changed the topic. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better!" Zell brightly answered, but his face cringed as he finally pulled himself to his feet, obviously favoring his uninjured leg. "Still kinda hurts, but hey! I'm standin'!" 

"Good," Seifer replied as he began getting dressed. "I'll have Watts bring you another potion." 

Just as Seifer reached for his coat, the door to his bedroom slid open. He thought it was Zone or Watts coming to wake him, but when he looked up, he was faced with a garrison of Galbadian soldiers. 

The red Elite in charge stepped into the room, flanked by subordinates who held their weapons at the ready. "Seifer Almasy, you're under arrest for attacks against the Galbadian government and endangering the safety of our nation and its people." 

"The hell I am!" Seifer immediately looked across the room to where Hyperion was resting but these soldiers were prepared for a fight. They knew the Owls were still weak after their last assault, and used that to their advantage. Just as expected, Seifer tried to fight, even without his gunblade. 

The soldiers didn’t seem to have an interest in Zell, but the SeeD still attempted to fight alongside Seifer, despite his injuries. "You're not takin' him anywhere!" Zell shouted as he joined in the brawl. 

"Get back, I can handle this!" Seifer ordered, concerned for Zell, but it was too late. 

The soldiers immediately honed in on Seifer's obvious weakness and targeted Zell. Injured as he was, it was easy for the Galbadians to subdue the SeeD, shoving him down to his knees. The Elite soldier stood behind Zell, pointing a firearm at the hostage's head. "You come willingly, and I'll spare your little boyfriend." 

"Don't do it, Seifer," Zell pleaded. "I'll be fine, just... don't go." 

Seifer hesitated a moment as he weighed his options. It was admirable, the way Zell tried to be brave. Knowing the chicken wuss, it was more likely foolishness than bravery. Either way, Seifer absolutely refused to allow any harm to come to him. There had to be some other way out of this. If he was fast enough, just maybe he could... 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Elite cocking a bullet into the chamber of his gun. "Offer expires in five, four, three--" 

"Fine," Seifer grumbled angrily as he held his hands up to surrender. "You win." 

Soldiers immediately swarmed him to cuff Seifer's wrists behind his back. He glared intently at the elite, ready to keep fighting if the Galbadians didn't hold up their end of the bargain, but just as promised, the leader re-holstered his weapon. Zell flailed and struggled to break free, but the other soldiers still held him down. 

Even in defeat, Seifer stood tall, glaring angrily at the Elite. "If you or your goons so much as lay a finger on him, I _will_ kill you." 

The soldiers snickered, obviously not taking his threat seriously as they escorted him out of the room. "Orders were to bring you in alive," the Elite answered. "No need to bother myself with extra paperwork over unnecessary casualties." 

Zell was helpless to do anything but watch. He hated being so useless. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. Crying wouldn't fix anything. He had to stay strong and find a way to save Seifer. He just had to team up with Zone and Watts and-- 

Oh, Hyne, he had almost forgotten Zone and Watts. Where were they? Were they safe? He had to find them immediately. Zell pulled himself to his feet, wincing as pain surged from his injuries. Looking down, he could see growing red splotches in his bandages where the wounds re-opened during the fight. He forced himself to fight through the pain and dragged himself to a nearby dresser, where he managed to dig out a pair of sweatpants. 

They were absurdly large on Zell, but it was better than running around the train in his boxers. He limped out of Seifer's room and down the hall, first checking the common room. Thankfully, he didn't need to look any further. Zone and Watts were here, gagged and bound, but safe. 

As soon as Zell removed the cloth from their mouths, Watts spoke up first. "We wanted to warn you, Sir, but they came up on us so suddenly!" 

Zone chimed in, "What happened? Where's Seifer?!" 

Zell lowered his head, avoiding eye contact as he worked off their bonds. "They took him," Zell answered, voice quavering slightly. "He-- he sacrificed himself for me, and I couldn't do a damn thing!!" He lifted his gaze again, eyes filled with determination. "We _have_ to get him back." 

"We will," Zone reassured, placing a hand on Zell's shoulder once his arms were freed. "But we're no good like this. You're still hurt, and we have no idea where they've taken him." 

Zell's shoulders slumped. "I owe him my life. TWICE!" 

"We want him back just as much as you do. Watts and I will do everything we can to find out where he's being held. In the meantime, you just focus on healing. We're one man down, so all three of us need to be in perfect shape for the rescue mission." 

Zell nodded silently in response. He completely agreed with Zone, but that didn't change the fact that he was still upset and frustrated over what happened. Zell returned to Seifer's room, where Zone and Watts helped him change his bandages. Once the SeeD was settled in, the two immediately began their reconnaissance work. 

While Zone and Watts were out looking for ways to help Seifer, Zell was stuck in bed like a bump on a log. He hated feeling so useless. All this waiting only gave him more time to focus on all his worries. Zell replayed the morning over and over in his head, wondering if there was anything he could have done differently, but there really was no way he could have helped Seifer. 

And what was with that threat Seifer gave the soldiers? Zell had come to understand how Seifer was protective of his team, but he seemed particularly hostile at the idea of Zell getting hurt. That, plus the way he lingered in bed, holding Zell for a moment longer before getting up... Was it possible that he felt the same way as Zell felt about him? So many questions needed answering, yet all Zell could do about it was just lie there and _dwell_ on the issue. 

Of course, it wasn’t long before he grew too impatient to keep sitting around like this. With Zone and Watts looking for intel, there was nobody to keep Zell in bed. He carefully pulled himself up and limped throughout the room, taking his time to find his own clothes. Getting dressed was a struggle, but Zell finally managed to put himself together well enough to make his way into town to find a proper healer to tend to his injuries. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

The Galbadian army took Seifer away from Timber in an armored car, escorted by a convoy of military vehicles. When they stuffed him into the back seat of the vehicle, he responded with a cheeky smirk. “All this just for me? I’m honored.” 

Ignoring his arrogant comments, the soldiers simply placed a cloth sack over Seifer’s head, preventing him from seeing where they were going. He honestly had no idea what the purpose of this was. He was restrained and in custody with no means of contacting his comrades. What did it matter if he knew where he was going? Probably just an intimidation tactic, he figured. It wasn’t a very good one, though. Instead of intimidated, Seifer was just annoyed. 

It made walking especially difficult once they finally reached their destination. He stumbled clumsily along as he was flanked by soldiers, yanking him every which way. After being dragged down a steep flight of stairs, Seifer was shoved into a very uncomfortable chair with his arms and legs tied down. The bag was finally pulled from his head, revealing that he wasn’t in any sort of prison like he had expected. It was a dark, empty, concrete room, illuminated by a single lightbulb. The soldiers had all gone, save for two guards at the door. 

Whatever was happening here, he knew this must be some sort of “off-the-record” deal. It certainly wasn’t ordinary procedure for handling prisoners. These tactics were actually starting to cause Seifer to feel more anxious about his situation. He’d have to be an idiot not to be at least a little bit afraid. They had him tied to a chair in a basement. Who knows what they were planning to do to him? 

The important part was that he never let them see his fear. He reclined back in the chair, subtly testing his bonds as he called out to the guards. “Is this your plan? To _bore_ me to death?” 

Of course, the guards didn’t answer. They just stood there, remaining silent until the door opened again. 

Another handful of soldiers entered the room. This time, they seemed to be escorting an important-looking man. He was much older than the others, with flecks of gray at his temples and wrinkles lining the hard expression on his face. He wore a crisp military uniform decorated with various medals and badges. Whoever he was, he was clearly in charge, and somehow familiar. 

“Seifer Almasy,” the man spoke in a haughty tone, “ever a thorn in my side.” 

The gunbladist raised his eyebrows in recognition as he realized exactly who this man was. “General… what was it, Conrad? Crabcakes?” 

“It’s _Caraway,_ ” the man spat in response. 

He remembered the name, but Seifer took joy from any opportunity to show blatant disrespect to his captors. “Of course, how could I forget?” He glanced up at the man with a look of arrogant defiance. “How’s Rinoa? Don’t tell me she’s too busy at Garden to check up on dear old dad.” 

Seifer was perfectly aware of the strained relationship Caraway had with his daughter, and his remarks hit a nerve just the way he wanted. The General removed the gloves from his hands and without another word, backhanded Seifer across the jaw hard enough to break open the skin on his lip. The gunbladist only laughed in response, tasting copper as he ran his tongue over the wound. “Might be time to retire, old man.” He nodded towards one of the soldiers. “Maybe next time, one of your boys could do a little better.” 

“You were never good enough for my daughter,” Caraway snarled. 

It was a terrible comeback if he was trying to taunt Seifer. The gunbladist couldn’t agree more, yet he still deflected it right back at the General. “Neither are you, apparently.” 

Caraway responded with a glare and a threat, “By the time we’re finished here, you’ll have paid for your war crimes. With interest.” 

So that’s what this was about? They weren’t going through all this trouble just for a little resistance group, after all. Of course, that probably had something to do with it too, but all this special treatment wasn’t for the leader of the Forest Owls. Caraway was after the Sorceress’ Knight. 

This new bit of information put Seifer even more on edge. He had tried so hard to put that phase of his life behind him, but apparently, there was no way to escape his past. The entire world knew what he had done, and it was only a matter of time before someone would go out looking for blood. 

“Well, that’s going to be a problem, General,” Seifer replied, still insistent on keeping a brave face. “You see, I’m flat-out broke.” 

“Laugh while you can, Almasy.” Caraway spared him one last steely glare before exiting the room with his soldiers, leaving Seifer alone with the guards once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAHHH I still worry that I'm rushing things, but I get bored at work and just start typing up fanfic on my phone and whups, here's another chapter! Heheh. Everyone has been giving such nice feedback and I heart you all for reading this and thank you and aksdj;fsakdf YEAH!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation: Rescue Seifer commences!!

After Zell finally returned from the healer, Zone and Watts seemed concerned, as expected, for his sudden disappearance, but they didn't dwell for too long on the issue. It was all over and done, and nothing terrible happened after all. In fact, Zell recovered impressively fast, thanks to the Owl's Tear's exceptional healing properties.

They still didn't know where Seifer was being held, but at least now Zell had the mobility to anxiously pace back and forth while Zone and Watts used their connections to try and get whatever information they could find. Zell felt so useless. He didn't know the locals like the others did, nor did he have a target yet, so all he could do was wait, and he hated it. 

By now, there was no longer any doubt in Zell's mind about his feelings for Seifer. Before, he tried so hard to deny it and maybe even felt a little embarrassed about it. He tried to shrug it off as feelings of friendship or camaraderie, but Zell knew better. After all, he wasn't exactly in the habit of snuggling up to his friends in bed. Life-or-death situations made it very difficult to remain in denial. He cared about Seifer in ways he hadn't cared about anyone before. That fact was clear as ever once Seifer surrendered himself for Zell's sake, an act that gave the SeeD a hunch that maybe Seifer felt the same. Whatever their feelings might be, Zell was determined to get Seifer back. 

Days felt like an eternity, but finally, Zone and Watts returned one afternoon as Zell was practicing moves on a makeshift punching bag he constructed out of pillows and one of the soldier uniforms. 

"We found him, Sir!" Watts excitedly announced the good news as he entered the room. 

Zone joined him, confirming this news with a nod. "The reason it took us so long is because he's not in any sort of official holding cell," Zone explained. "They've got him locked up somewhere in General Caraway's mansion." 

Zell's eyes brightened in recognition at that name. "That's easy! We can just get Rinoa to help, right?!" 

"If you know about Rinoa's relationship with her dad, then you should know that's not an option," Zone replied, shaking his head. 

That was a good point. Zell had spoken too soon without fully thinking about that plan. Getting Rinoa involved would probably make Caraway even less likely to give up his prisoner. On top of that, Rinoa was still with Squall. Reaching out to her meant he'd have to reach out to SeeD too, and he'd rather not make himself look incapable of handling a mission on his own. And who knew how'd they'd react to learning that Seifer was in charge? They might order Zell NOT to rescue him. 

"Oh, hey!" Zell piped up as he was suddenly hit with an idea. "You said he's in the mansion, right? There's a secret passageway that connects to the sewers! We can get in from there!" 

Zone and Watts shared a look of uncertainty as they considered the option. "Do you remember the way?" Zone asked. 

"What if they've closed off the route since you last used it?" Watts added. 

Zell's shoulders slumped as the others challenged his idea. "We at least gotta TRY!" he insisted. "It's the easiest way in, and if it doesn't work, worst thing that can happen is we gotta turn around and come up with a plan B, right?" 

After taking a brief moment to consider their options, Zone shrugged and gave a nod. "Couldn't hurt to try. Just give us the plan, and we'll follow." 

Zell cocked his head to the side, not having expected to be the one put in charge. Years ago, when he was originally assigned this mission, Zone was the one in charge. With Seifer indisposed, Zell assumed that Zone would take over command again, but it was kind of nice to have people looking to him for the answers, for once, so Zell didn't contest it. 

Determined not to mess up, he narrowed his eyes and put on a more serious expression as he concentrated on a plan. "Okay, so we come in through the sewers, right? It's gonna let us out into some kind of office, so we bust in, and WHAM!!" Zell threw a punch at the air, causing Zone and Watts to jump backwards in surprise. "Take out anyone who's in there! But, uh... Do it quiet. We don't wanna draw any attention before we get to Seifer." 

"Very good, Sir!" Watts agreed. "But where should we go once we're inside? We can't search the whole mansion!" 

Zell nodded as he considered the problem. "We'll just shake down one o' the guys before we knock 'em out!" 

They all agreed on the plan and immediately started to prepare their gear. After the sun had set, they made their way onto the sewer system, they quickly found that navigating the underground maze was extremely difficult. The tunnels were all nearly identical, and it had been too long since Zell was last down here. Zone climbed a ladder to try and re-establish his sense of direction, but nearly got plowed down by traffic as he lifted the manhole cover. 

After what felt like an eternity, Zell finally gave an excited shout as he recognized the ladder that led up into the General's mansion. The group climbed up the ladder to the stairwell leading to the mansion. Zone positioned himself behind the closed door, ready to attack, if need be. 

Zell pulled a lever, and the statue in the office slowly rotated as the doorway opened to a completely empty room. In unison, the three men gave a sigh of relief as they quietly made their way into the office. 

Since the coast was clear, Zone and Watts immediately began poking around the room for any information that could be useful. Zell, however, was much too impatient to just linger and search for clues that might not even exist, so he headed straight for the door and carefully cracked it open, peeking out into the hall to see it clear from guards. 

"C'mon!" Zell waved the others over. "It's clear!" 

"But where do we go?" Zone asked as he and Watts joined Zell. "This mansion is huge, and we still don't know where Seifer's being held." 

"There’s gotta be guards somewhere. Just gotta find one and grill ‘em for info!" Zell replied as he slipped out into the hallway. 

Without much of a choice, Zone and Watts followed Zell out of the room. Sure enough, they quickly managed to find a soldier guarding a small staircase leading upstairs. Between the three of them, they were easily able to overpower the man and drag him back to the office. 

"Where is he?!" Zell shouted as his fist connected with the soldier’s jaw a bit too enthusiastically. 

"I-- I don't know who--!!" The soldier's eyes widened in panic and confusion. 

As Zell wound up for another punch, Zone placed a hand on his arm to hold him back. "Hey, maybe don't go so hard on him? We need him to stay conscious 'til he gives us the info." 

Zell lowered his arm, nodding in agreement. "Oh, right!" He replied with a sheepish grin, then turned back to the soldier with an angry glare. 

There was a moment of relief in the soldier's eyes at the false hope that he wouldn't be hit again, but this time, Zell's knee crashed into the soldier's gut, causing him to double over in pain. "Where's Seifer?!" 

"The-- there's a cellar!" The soldier gasped as he fought to regain his breath. "Out back, two guards at the top of the stairs, two at the bottom. Go around the long way through the kitchen, less solders that way. Just please stop hitting me!" 

"Hey, thanks!" Zell stepped back and grinned brightly at the soldier as a sign of goodwill, but Zone immediately stepped forward and knocked the soldier out with the butt of his gun. 

Now, it was only a matter of trusting this guy's information. It was worth a shot, since they didn't have any other leads, and they could always find another soldier to question, anyway. 

"That was a bit harsh, Sir!" Watts whispered as they crept through the mansion. 

"I had to," Zone replied. "We couldn't risk him alerting the others." 

"No, not that. I mean Zell," he nodded to the SeeD. "Didn't think you had it in you!" 

"Yeah?" Zell paused to give Watts an apologetic grin. "Guess I got a little excited. I just wanna get Seifer back!" 

"Don't you two hate each other?" Zone pointed out. 

"Hey, the coast is clear!" Zell, very obviously deflected the question and waved the other two along. "Let's get goin'!" 

This wasn't the time for conversation, anyway, so Zone didn't push the issue further. The group silently continued to make their way towards the back of the mansion until they found the guarded door. It was three against two, and the Owls had the advantage of surprise. They easily took down the first set of guards, then crept down the stairs and took care of the second pair as well. 

As the soldiers hit the ground, Zell looked to the lone chair in the room. Seifer slumped forward, covered in blood and bruises. He barely seemed conscious, but he was alive. The noise seemed to have roused him, and he managed a weak smile as he glanced at the others. “Took you long enough.” 

Unable to contain his excitement, Zell immediately threw his arms around Seifer's shoulders in a tight hug. 

"Thank Hyne, you're not dead!!" He exclaimed right next to Seifer's ear. 

"Ow, dammit!" Seifer winced at the pain from the hug and Zell's unfortunately loud voice. "Just untie me!" 

"Oh, right!" Zell quickly got to work on the ropes holding Seifer to the chair, and he was soon joined by Zone and Watts. 

Just as they began helping Seifer to his feet, the sounds of several pairs of boots echoed through the small room. Zell glanced up to see General Caraway surrounded by a small troop of soldiers. 

"Good," Caraway spoke up. "Now that the three of you are here, we can arrest you as well and be done with this silly resistance." 

Before anyone could respond, the General waved his hand, and the soldiers attacked without hesitation. However, the Forest Owls had been up against much worse in the past. It seemed that Caraway had been too overconfident in both his security and his secrecy of holding Seifer in his own basement, that the actual number of soldiers he had available was nowhere near enough to contain Zell and the others. 

Seifer rested back down in the chair as the other three took care of the enemies. He wanted to help fight. The feeling of uselessness grated at him, but he knew his own limits. If the others infiltrated the mansion all on their own, Seifer was sure that they could handle this one battle without him. 

The fight didn't last for very long. The adrenaline was pumping through Zell's blood, and he fought more fiercely than ever, now that they were so close to rescuing Seifer. As for the General himself, he was old and out of practice. It had been so long since he had seen battle. For years, he simply gave orders, hiding behind his troops. There was nothing he could do to stop the Owls from defeating his guards. Knocking Caraway out would be easy. Zell pulled back with his arm, ready to land that final blow, but he froze as Seifer called out to him. 

“Wait,” he ordered as he strained to pull himself to his feet. Zone and Watts hurried to his side to try and help him, but Seifer waved them off as he limped towards Zell and the General. “Don't hit him.” 

For a moment, Zell was dumbfounded. Why would Seifer want to spare Caraway? “Uh, sure, I guess?” Zell obeyed, taking a few steps back. “We can talk things through, violence is never the answer, and all that…” 

As Zell rambled on, Seifer ignored him as he advanced on the General. He was slow, but determined, using every last bit of his strength as he closed the distance and bashed his fist into Caraway’s face. 

“That works too!” Zell beamed as he hopped towards the stairs. “Okay, now let's get outta here!!” 

“Not yet,” Seifer spoke up. “I have an idea.” 

\---- 

The group waited in the office until General Caraway regained consciousness. It gave them plenty of time to catch their breath after fighting those soldiers and dragging Caraway’s unconscious body up the stairs. In the meantime, they had him propped up in the chair behind his desk. Seifer reclined on the couch, enjoying a bit of comfort after his capture while Zell anxiously paced back and forth. Zone and Watts stood guard outside to make sure no one attempted to come to Caraway's rescue. 

Finally, the General began to stir. As he opened his eyes, he furrowed his brows in confusion as to why the Forest Owls didn't escape when they had the chance. “You foolish rebels never know when to quit.” 

Seifer took a deep, slow breath as he pulled himself to his feet. His entire body ached, but he knew he had to hold out for just a little longer. Zell started towards Seifer, reaching his hand out to try and keep him from straining himself, but the gunbladist just waved him off as he advanced on Caraway. 

“You're going to liberate Timber,” Seifer demanded, placing his hands flat on the desk as he loomed over Caraway. “Now.” 

The General seemed a bit nervous, but still refused to take them seriously. “I don't negotiate with terrorists. You are a criminal and a traitor and I will see you brought to justice!” 

“Yo, the way I remember it, Seifer commanded YOUR army!” Zell chimed in. “If anyone’s gonna get their hands on him, it's SeeD, so back off!” 

“Shut up, chicken wuss,” Seifer replied through clenched teeth. He knew Zell was only trying to help, but he couldn't stand being referred to as some sort of possession, as if he wasn't standing right there in front of them. 

Turning back to Caraway, Seifer grabbed a pen off the desk and slammed it down in front of the General, causing him to jump in his seat. “Do it. Sign off on Timber’s freedom.” After a brief pause, Seifer noticed a letter opener sitting on the desktop. With a menacing smirk, he reached for the tool, gripping it tightly as he glared at Caraway. “But I'm almost hoping you won't. Not right away, at least. I owe you some payback.” 

Caraway hesitated for a moment, and Seifer reeled back his arm, ready to strike with the letter opener. 

“Wait!!” Caraway called out, eyes widening in panic. “Wait, I'll do it. I'll sign it!” He scrambled for a sheet of his personalized stationery and quickly began to scrawl orders to remove all Galbadian troops from Timber. He neatly folded it and placed it in an envelope fixed shut with his own wax seal and handed it over to Seifer. “There. You've won. One less nuisance for me to worry about.” 

“Now was that so hard?” Seifer taunted as he accepted the envelope. Without warning, the gunbladist reached forward and grabbed Caraway by the hair. He slammed the General’s head onto the desk, causing the man to pass out once again. 

The last blow startled Zell, but he didn't need to ask why it was necessary. The guy deserved it. After what he did to Seifer, a couple knocks in the head seemed like he was getting off easy. Besides, he was too excited to worry about Caraway. 

“We did it!!” He exclaimed as he rushed towards Seifer. In his mind, he had planned to celebrate with a simple high five, but Zell’s passion and impulsiveness overcame him. He threw his arms around Seifer's shoulders and enthusiastically pressed their lips together. 

Seifer was caught entirely by surprise. He really didn't think the chicken wuss had the guts to make such a bold move, but he wasn't in the mood to question it. He was much too exhausted to keep ignoring these feelings, and after the past few days, Seifer was just relieved that he had the chance to see Zell again. For now, he relaxed against the smaller blonde and allowed himself to enjoy the kiss. 

Just as Seifer lifted his hand to cup Zell's jaw, the martial artist suddenly became self-aware and jumped back, eyes wide with shock for what he'd done. His face was bright red as he quickly turned away and bolted for the door. “We should tell Zone and Watts! A-about our victory, I mean!!” he quickly shouted before Seifer could address what just happened. 

“Zell--” Seifer called out, but it was too late. The SeeD was already out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOORRRYYY for the long wait on this one! I slowly chipped away at it, but every time I thought I'd just sit down and really work on it, I just felt so drained lately =/ but I had a productive weekend off!! Hopefully it won't take me so long on the next one!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's be real, this is the chapter we've all been waiting for.

As the group rode back to Timber, Seifer rested his forehead against the window, blankly staring out at the scenery. He was too exhausted to drive, so he didn’t complain when Zell seated himself behind the wheel. At first, he tried to nap, but the car wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest, especially with that chicken wuss’ damn erratic driving. So instead, Seifer quietly lounged in his seat, listening to Zone and Watts excitedly talking about their victory.

For once, Seifer finally managed to do something good. He thought he would be happier once they freed Timber from the Galbadian military, but now that it was a reality, Seifer didn’t know what he felt. Of course, he didn’t regret helping the Forest Owls, and part of him was glad that they were finally able to achieve their goal, but what was left for him now? He never thought about what he might do after Timber was liberated. Until now, it was just an ideal, a goal set in the distance that he never expected to reach so soon. 

What defined him now? Had he done enough to atone for his mistakes? His experience at Caraway’s manor made Seifer feel as though he’d never escape his past. His status as leader of the Forest Owls might have been part of the reason for his capture, but the General emphasized Seifer’s role in the war and made his feelings about that very clear. 

But maybe there was some hope for him, after all. Just a few days ago when Zell joined their team, he seemed to still hate Seifer as much as ever. However, at the Caraway mansion, the SeeD proved that those feelings had changed quite a bit since then. Seifer’s gaze shifted from the window towards the driver’s seat. Zell rigidly sat upright, knuckles white as he tightly gripped the steering wheel. His eyes were wide and glued to the road, as if he was forcing himself to focus. 

Zell’s emotions were always easy to read, and after knowing him for so long, Seifer knew exactly what must have been going through that chicken brain of his. The SeeD was probably still thinking about that kiss, giving himself a mental ass-kicking for being so foolish while anxiously anticipating the worst ridicule he’d ever receive in his life. Perhaps it was arrogance, but Seifer would also gamble that Zell wanted to do it again, but knew he wouldn’t dare. His assessment of Zell’s mental process was only confirmed as the martial artist took his eyes off the road and stole a glance at Seifer. He met the other man’s gaze, and Zell’s eyes immediately snapped forward, his face taking on a soft, pink glow. 

Normally, Seifer would jump at the opportunity to tease the other blonde, but he was too drained for their usual banter. He settled for a simple smirk and went back to watching the passing scenery. 

The rest of the trip was a haze. He was barely able to remain conscious, but Seifer somehow made it from the car to a bed inside of the local healer’s clinic. On top of all the blood loss and physical punishment he endured at the hands of General Caraway, he wasn't able to get any proper rest while he was strapped to that chair. As soon as he hit the thin, springy mattress, Seifer was out cold. 

For the rest of the night and most of the following day, Seifer slept heavily while the healers tended to his wounds. Fortunately, his injuries weren't very serious, but there was a considerable number of them. With the help of the Owl’s Tear, most of the minor cuts and bruises healed throughout the course of the day. 

Later in the afternoon, as Seifer slowly started to regain consciousness, he heard the rhythmic tapping of footsteps near the foot of his bed. He opened his eyes to see Zell with his hands slipped into his jean pockets, anxiously pacing back and forth. A tired smile spread over his face as he watched the other blonde. It wasn't surprising that Zell remained here with him, but Seifer was still glad to see that he did. 

Seifer groaned as he slowly began to sit up, but before he could say anything, Zell jumped to attention. “Oh, hey! You're up! I'll go get the nurse!” 

It seemed that he was still hesitant to remain alone with Seifer, at least, while he was awake. Zell dashed out of the room and was soon replaced with one of the healers. Seifer couldn't deny that he was a bit disappointed that the martial artist didn't return with the nurse, but from the looks of things, he wouldn't be confined to this bed much longer. 

Though, he still wasn't released as soon as he had hoped. With so many injuries, it was a while before the nurses finished re-examined Seifer to see how well he had been healing so far. It took even longer for Seifer to convince them that he didn't need to stay another night, but the healers couldn't argue once he finally grabbed his coat and invited himself to leave, despite their protests. 

By the time he left, the sun had already started to set. Seifer was disappointed that Zell left so quickly and didn't come back. He hated the way caring for someone else made him feel so vulnerable at times, but it was impossible to ignore those feelings. Though, as soon as he stepped outside of the clinic, Seifer saw what kept Zell from returning to him. 

News of Timber’s liberation had been buzzing throughout the town all day, giving the citizens plenty of time to decorate the streets with banners and streamers to celebrate their liberation. Zone and Watts were nearby, helping set up a string of lights while Zell spoke excitedly to a small crowd of people, gesturing wildly with his arms. 

As Seifer took in his surroundings, there was one banner in particular that caught his eye - “SEIFER - HERO OF TIMBER.” Before he could question it, a voice in the crowd suddenly shouted, “There he is! He's here!” All the nearby townsfolk swarmed to greet Seifer, every one of them trying to express gratitude or shake his hand. 

“Is it true you fought off 88 Galbadian soldiers with your bare hands?!” 

“I heard you scared the General so bad, he PEED himself!” 

Instinct told Seifer to shout at them for blocking the road while shoving his way through the crowd, but he was taken so aback by all this sudden praise, that he was actually rendered speechless. Zell suddenly appeared in front of Seifer, his small frame making it easy to maneuver through the crowd. He spoke up to address the townsfolk and divert their attention away from Seifer. “It's all true, like I told ya! We didn't need to rescue him at all! He already broke himself out by the time we got there. Snapped the ropes off with his own strength and took on the General, himself!” 

This was all so bizarre, Seifer had to wonder if he was actually still asleep in the clinic, having some powerful hallucinations thanks to whatever painkillers they had given him. He opened his mouth to protest, but felt a hand tugging on his jacket, pulling him away from the crowd while they were all distracted by stories of Seifer's alleged exploits. Much to his relief, Zone and Watts managed to extract Seifer from the mob, leading him safely off to the side where there was no one to bother them. 

“What the _hell_ is that all about?” Seifer hissed as soon as they were alone. 

“Everyone's still excited from hearing the good news,” Watts replied. 

“What ‘news’ would that be?” Seifer folded his arms over his chest. “The one where I sound like a ridiculous comic book hero? Because that's the story he's telling.” He nodded towards Zell, who was still talking to the crowd. 

“Zell maybe embellished a little…” Zone gave an apologetic grin. 

“And you didn't stop him?” If there weren't so many witnesses around, Seifer might have tried to strangle Zell. “This isn't right. The credit should go to you two.” 

As if on cue, Zone cried out in pain as he hunched over, arms folded over his middle. 

“His stomach’s acting up again, Sir,” Watts explained. “Any time someone suggested putting him in the spotlight, his cramps came back.” 

“Besides, you deserve this,” Zone sighed as he managed to stand upright again. “This really wouldn't have been possible without you.” 

Seifer, a hero? All this praise was so new to him. Growing up, he'd only ever been treated like the problem child. He always wanted to find someplace where he'd be accepted and have his good work acknowledged. Now that he found it, he wasn't sure what to do. It was almost an overwhelming feeling, making his gut twist into knots, yet at the same time, it was a relief to have people see him as something other than the sorceress’ lapdog. 

As the sky grew darker, the streets began to fill with more people eager to celebrate the Forest Owls’ victory over Galbadia. The festivities were illuminated by the street lamps and other small lights that had been strung along the buildings as part of the decorations. Various booths had been set along the road by certain vendors and shopkeeps who were generous enough to hand out snacks and drinks to everyone. 

Seifer idly wandered through the crowds, trying to relax and enjoy himself while Zone and Watts celebrated with the other residents of Timber. Every now and then, someone would come up to him to try and shake his hand, but other than that, he thankfully didn't have to deal with any more mobs. It was great to see everyone else so happy, but Seifer still wasn't entirely in the mood to partake in the festivities. 

After a while, he faded into the background and started to slip away from the crowd. Seifer intended to leave without disrupting anyone else's fun, but ever since the hot dog vendor cut Zell off for the night, the SeeD had been stealing glances at Seifer every now and again. Seeing him start to leave, Zell jogged through the crowd to catch up to him. 

“Hey! Where ya goin’? It's not even that late yet!” 

“This isn't my victory to celebrate,” Seifer replied without breaking his step. “It belongs to the people of Timber.” 

“Doesn't mean ya can't have any fun. They wouldn't have anything to celebrate if it wasn't for you! You deserve this.” 

Seifer's fist clenched as he suddenly realized why this victory wasn't quite as fulfilling as he thought it would be. Liberating Timber meant the Owls’ contract with SeeD was over. Zell would have to go back to Garden soon. Just as Seifer was starting to realize that there might be some deeper feelings involved, he'd have to let Zell go. He was really going to miss that energy and optimism, even if it was sometimes annoying. 

Even still, a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. Seifer liked to act as though he didn't care what anyone else thought of him, and it was generally true. But to have someone from his past, someone who was directly hurt by Seifer's actions - emotionally and physically - acknowledge that he was deserving of some sort of happiness meant so much more than some town-wide party. 

“What about you?” Seifer tilted his chin up as he glanced sidelong at Zell. “You should be back there with the others. But here you are, following me back to the train yard.” 

“I was tryin’ to get you to come back!” 

“I’m sure the party will be fine without me,” Seifer insisted as he continued towards the Owls’ base. “Looks to me like it's just you who can't stand being away from me.” 

“Wh-- NO!! No, I just… I thought…” 

Seifer chuckled softly. “Relax. I bet you're actually relieved the contract is over.” His grin faded to a sad smile. “You finally get to go back home.” 

The brief moment of silence told Seifer that Zell hadn't thought about that yet. “Oh,” he finally spoke up. “Yeah, ‘bout time, right?” 

With a sigh, Seifer stepped up into the train car, followed by Zell. Once they were both inside, he folded his arms and turned to confront Zell. “Except that's not true, is it?” 

“Huh?” The SeeD looked up at Seifer with a confused, wide-eyed expression. “What d’you mean?” 

“You're a bad liar, Zell.” Seifer smirked, taking a few steps closer. “Did you think you could get away without talking about what happened last night at the mansion?” 

Zell swallowed thickly, heart pounding in his chest as he instinctively backed away from Seifer. Hearing him use Zell’s actual name instead of some humiliating nickname gave the SeeD a flutter in his stomach. He tried to play it cool, but he was obviously nervous. “Ya mean the stuff Caraway said? Don't let it get to ya, that guy’s just a jerk, and I--” 

His rambling was suddenly cut off as Seifer gripped Zell by the shoulders and shoved him back against the wall, roughly pressing their lips together. Zell's head was swimming. He was in shock, confused, angry, and excited all at the same time. Before he could fully process what was happening, Seifer already pulled away, leaving Zell speechless. 

“You didn't think I'd let you get away so easily, did you?” Seifer smirked. 

“Ya mean, you really… feel the same way?” 

“Not exactly the same.” Seifer placed a hand under Zell's chin, tilting his face upward. “Because when I kiss you again, I'm not going to run away like a chicken wuss.” 

Zell couldn't be mad at the insult because he knew it was true. Still, he gripped Seifer by the lapels of his jacket and softly muttered, “Asshole,” as he pulled him in for another kiss. 

This time it was softer as they put more care into the kiss. All the feelings they had been holding back were finally made clear in this one gesture. Seifer leaned an arm against the wall for support, which nearly caused Zell to be pinned down, but the smaller blonde didn't mind it at all. His hands slid up Seifer's chest and behind his neck, holding him close. 

Seeing how far he could push his luck, Seifer bit gently at Zell's lower lip as he wedged a knee between his legs. By now, Zell's mind had practically switched off. He was done worrying or thinking much of anything at all, except for how badly he had been wanting this. Letting his impulses take over, his hips automatically rocked down against Seifer's thigh. Pleased by this reaction, the gunbladist added a little more pressure as his lips trailed along Zell's jaw and down to his neck. 

Zell raked his fingers through Seifer's hair. A soft whine escaped from his throat as he felt the other man bite down on his skin. Seifer quickly grew impatient to hear what other noises he could get Zell to make, and with the martial artist grinding so desperately against him, Seifer’s trousers had begun to feel a bit too tight. 

“Bedroom?” He suggested as he slowly pulled away. 

Zell looked up at him with a dazed gleam in his eyes as he eagerly nodded his head. Once he was unpinned from the wall, Zell immediately grabbed Seifer by the sleeve and tugged him down the hallway. 

As the door closed behind them, Zell turned and looked to Seifer for direction. The gunbladist already removed his coat and tossed it aside, so Zell followed suit and shrugged off his own jacket. He reached forward with his arms, trying to move in for another kiss, but Seifer firmly placed a hand on Zell's chest. 

“Hey…” The martial artist frowned, giving Seifer a confused look. “What gives?!” 

Without a word, Seifer gently pushed Zell back until he fell onto the mattress. The martial artist automatically kicked off his shoes as Seifer crawled over him and leaned down to continue kissing along his neck. Keeping his weight on one arm, Seifer’s free hand slipped under Zell's shirt and slowly crept up over his torso. The gunbladist leisurely slid his hand over Zell's body, taking time time appreciate his toned form. 

The smaller blonde tilted his head back with a soft, encouraging groan. He made it very clear that he was eager for more, but Seifer insisted on taking his time. His lips brushed against Zell's collarbone, then all the way back up to his jaw. After giving Zell's earlobe a little bite, Seifer pulled back and started tugging up on Zell's shirt. “Off.” 

Zell was more than eager to comply. He pulled his shirt up the rest of the way and tossed it aside. The brief pause gave Seifer enough time to remove his own shirt as well. Once the fabric was out of the way, he took a moment to look over Zell. Seifer had seen him without his shirt before, but never dared to allow himself to enjoy the view. Zell squirmed uneasily under Seifer's gaze, face turning a little pink as he nervously shifted his gaze to the side. 

The gunbladist felt his blood shoot straight to his groin as he watched the way Zell reacted so bashfully. Was this his first time? Seifer wouldn't be surprised at all, if that were the case. It only made Seifer want to claim Zell as his own even more. 

With a smirk, he lightly trailed his fingers over Zell's abs, down to his hip, causing the SeeD to give a slight shudder. 

“Tell me if I'm moving too fast,” Seifer said as he ran his thumb just under the hem of Zell's shorts. “I'll stop.” 

Zell swallowed thickly, immediately shaking his head until he could manage words. “No! No, I want this,” he pleaded. “Keep going.” 

Glad to see Zell so eager, Seifer continued leaving kisses over his body, moving lower down his stomach. Once he reached the waistline of Zell's jeans, Seifer quickly worked on unfastening the button while he sucked hard on the SeeD's hip, making sure to leave a mark. Zell shuddered at the contact and lifted his hips up to help remove his shorts. 

As Seifer slowly pulled down the jeans, his lips continued following the curve of Zell's hip bone. He eventually reached a point where he had to pull up for a moment to tug the shorts down the rest of the way, along with Zell's boxers. The SeeD absently chewed on his lower lip as he nervously watched Seifer. 

“Keep goin’,” Zell groaned impatiently. Now that he was lying beneath Seifer, fully unclothed, there was no turning back, and it was quite obvious that he was enjoying himself so far. 

Seifer licked his lips as he leaned down again, keeping his gaze locked on Zell's face. “Tell me what you want,” he spoke in a low, husky voice, breath hot against Zell's inner thigh. 

“Seif, c’mon…!” He whined, nudging his hips forward. 

“Ask nicely,” Seifer taunted as his tongue just barely grazed the base of Zell's length. 

“Seifer, _please!_ I want-- I _need_ more!” 

The gunbladist loved hearing Zell beg so desperately. He rewarded him by slowly dragging his tongue up Zell's arousal, causing the smaller blonde to respond with a shudder. 

“Y-yes, don't stop!” Zell pleaded, however, the demand caused Seifer to pause and glance up expectantly. With a frustrated groan, Zell added, “Seifer, PLEASE!” 

The scarred blonde lightly gripped the base of Zell's arousal as he finally took him into his mouth, sucking gently. The martial artist loudly cried out as Seifer slowly started to bob his head. It had been a while since Seifer had done this, but he still remembered how to relax his throat as he lowered his head even further down as he carefully took in the entire length. 

Zell's heels dug into the mattress as he curled one arm upwards to grip the pillow, his free hand clawing at the bedsheets. His hips automatically jerked upwards, looking for more, but Seifer quickly reacted to hold him down. The gunbladist set his own pace as he continued slowly moving his head with a low, possessive groan. The vibrations from his vocal chords had Zell writhing desperately beneath him as he cried out for more. 

Though Seifer did enjoy watching Zell react to his every move, he could no longer ignore the ache in his own groin. After a while, he finally pulled off Zell, who gave a disappointed whine, but seemed too breathless to form an actual complaint. Once the martial artist realized that Seifer had finally begun to remove his own trousers, he leaned up on his elbows, shamelessly watching as the rest of Seifer's clothes were kicked aside. 

“Not getting cold feet, are you?” Seifer smirked as he reached for the nightstand, where he kept his lube easily on hand. 

Eyes widening as he looked over Seifer, Zell quickly shook his head. “Hell no! I can take it!!” 

“Mm, good,” Seifer replied as he coated his fingers with lube. As badly as they both seemed to want this, he wanted to make sure this would be enjoyable for the both of them, so he began with just one finger as he slowly pressed it into Zell. 

The way Zell clenched his jaw made it obvious that he had never done this before, so Seifer made sure his movements were slow and careful until the other blonde managed to relax. 

“More…” Zell gasped, spreading his legs wider as his eyelids fluttered shut. 

Seifer gladly added a second finger and began moving them a more steady pace. With his free hand, he began to stroke himself as he watched Zell moving beneath him. 

“Damn, you look so good like this,” he groaned, pressing a little harder with his fingers. 

Zell whined softly in response as he rocked down against Seifer's hand. He opened his eyes again to watch the other man work and finally decided to take some initiative. Sliding a hand down, Zell carefully gripped Seifer's length, stroking along with him. At the very least, Zell had done this for himself plenty of times, so he was perfectly capable of moving his fist over Seifer just the right way, firmly swiping his thumb over the head before pumping back down. 

As Zell took over, Seifer leaned forward over the smaller blonde, giving a pleased moan. Eager to move things along, he added a third finger and began working them more quickly into Zell. Seifer rested his forehead against Zell's shoulder, leaving kisses along his collarbone between breaths. 

“Tell me when,” Seifer muttered, growing a bit impatient. 

Thankfully, it wasn't much longer before Zell responded with an eager nod. “O-okay, m’ready!” 

Seifer pulled away to spread lube over his own length, then moved into position above Zell. This was much bigger than just his fingers, so he slowly guided himself inside, careful not to be too rough with Zell. Once he was fully inside, he paused to give the martial artist time to adjust to the feeling. 

At first, Zell winced slightly, but he knew the feeling would only last for a moment. Seifer noticed his discomfort and responded with a soft kiss, hoping to help him relax. Zell wrapped his arms around Seifer's middle, eagerly kissing him back. Before long, he rocked forward with his hips, wordlessly asking for more. 

Zell moaned against Seifer's lips as they began with a slow, easy pace. He finally broke the kiss, gasping as he felt Seifer pull away, then slowly push back inside. 

“Fuck, Zell,” Seifer groaned, close enough to still brush against the other man's lips as he spoke. “You're so tight.” 

“Aah! Feels… amazing…!” Zell shuddered as he rolled his hips upward to meet Seifer's slow, thrusts. 

Zell bucked up against Seifer, trying to urge him to move faster, but the larger blonde only pinned him down with his hips. Seifer meant to stay in charge, and he was determined to make this last as long as possible. 

“What's the rush?” He nibbled playfully at Zell's ear. “We have all night.” 

“I just…” Zell swallowed thickly. “I've been wantin’ this so bad!” 

“Then let's make it last.” 

Zell couldn't argue with that. He ran a hand through Seifer's hair, pulling him into another deep, eager kiss. Perhaps it was only Zell's wishful thinking, but the way Seifer kissed him so passionately and moved so slowly and carefully against him, the SeeD felt certain that there was more to this than a simple physical attraction. 

As they kissed again, Seifer finally began to pick up the pace. Though he wanted to savor the moment, Seifer couldn't hold himself back for too long, especially the way Zell made such wonderful noises with every thrust. After they broke the kiss once again to gasp for air, Seifer still remained close, resting his forehead against Zell's as he roughly bucked into him. 

It was as though all the years of tension and aggression between the two of them were finally released in this one moment. Seifer gave a low, possessive groan as he thrust harder against Zell, while the martial artist hooked his legs around Seifer's waist to try and pull him deeper. Zell buried his face against Seifer's neck to try and muffle his cries, but it was no use. He shouted and moaned and pleaded for more, completely unaware of how much noise he was making. 

“Seif…!” Zell cried. “Seifer, m’so close!” 

The gunbladist slid a hand down between them to grip Zell's arousal, stroking him in time with their rhythm to help him reach his climax. It didn't take much longer before Zell finally arched his back with a loud gasp as he released into Seifer's hand. 

Feeling the smaller blonde tensing around him. It only took him a few more thrusts until Seifer was right there with Zell. 

They held on tightly to one another, panting heavily as they slowly began to wind down. For a moment they remained entwined together as they enjoyed the afterglow, but Seifer finally rolled off Zell, flopping into his back with a pleased sigh. The martial artist automatically nuzzled up against him and rested his head on Seifer's shoulder. 

“Wow,” Zell muttered, finally breaking the silence. “That was awesome.” 

Seifer responded with a lazy chuckle. “Not bad for your first time.” 

“HEY!” Zell immediately sat up, frowning at Seifer. “That wasn't--!! I've done it LOTS of times!” 

Seifer didn't need to say a word. He simply raised an eyebrow, giving Zell a skeptical glare, and the SeeD gave himself up. “Okay, _fine,_ it was! Happy now, Mr. Ego?” 

“I am,” Seifer replied as he tugged Zell back down to him. 

“Well…” Zell struggled for a comeback, but nothing came to him. “Good. ‘Cause I am too.” 

Once they settled in together again, Seifer nuzzled Zell's hair as a little grin spread over his face. He never imagined this sort of happiness could be possible for him, but here he was with Zell in his arms while the entire town celebrated his accomplishments. Part of him was afraid that he would wake up in the morning to find that he was still tied to that chair in Caraway's basement. Tired as he was, Seifer couldn't manage to fall asleep. 

Neither could Zell, apparently. “Seifer?” he spoke up, checking to see if the other was still awake. After receiving a soft grunt in response, Zell continued, “Come back to Garden with me tomorrow.” He looked up at the gunbladist with wide, pleading eyes. 

That sad puppy look was almost enough to make Seifer cave in, but he was already set in his decision. “I already told you, I won't go back. It's not the life I want.” 

“But what about, y’know… Us?” Zell asked with a frown. 

Seifer cupped Zell's cheek, looking him in the eyes as he spoke. “Now that I finally got you, chicken wuss, don't think for one second that I'll let you go so easily. This won't be the last we see each other. I'll make sure of that.” 

Zell tried to crack a smile, but it was difficult not knowing when they could be together again. “You better not be lying.” 

“I promise,” Seifer swore as he gave Zell a light peck on the forehead. 

For the moment, that was enough to satisfy Zell, and he was soon able to drift off to sleep. Seifer remained awake for a while longer, wanting to enjoy what time he had left with Zell, but it wasn't long before his eyelids grew heavy and he began to doze off as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good ol' smut. I know it's usually tricky to write, so hopefully it doesn't suck!! ....no pun intended? Also... spot the Kill Bill reference!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that his mission is complete, Zell has to return to Garden. But what will that mean for his new relationship with Seifer?

Zell woke early the next morning, as usual. This time, however, he wasn't in any rush to hop out of bed and start his daily routine. Seifer's arm was draped loosely over him, and Zell could feel the rise and fall of the other man's chest against his back as he took slow, steady breaths. It was all too comfortable and relaxing to even think of leaving the bed.

Though, the warmth of Seifer's arms wasn't the only thing keeping Zell from starting the day. He knew he'd have to return to Garden soon, now that his mission was complete, but he wasn't looking forward to leaving Seifer this soon. Zell wanted to make this moment last for as long as he could. 

The SeeD carefully shifted beneath the weight of Seifer's arm, trying not to be too disruptive as he moved to face the other man. His face looked so peaceful while he slept. Usually, Seifer's eyebrows were knit together in frustration, or his lip would curl in a snarl, but now, his softened expression almost made it easy to forget what an asshole Seifer could be. 

Why _did_ they spend so much time fighting, Zell wondered, when all along, they could have been doing this instead? Whatever the reason, Zell was certain it was entirely Seifer's fault. If he wasn't such a bully, maybe they could have realized their attraction sooner. 

But after all that time, they were together _now_ , and that's all that mattered. At least, that's what Zell tried to tell himself. He tried to be grateful, but all he could think about was how much he was going to miss Seifer once they parted ways. He nestled his face against the other man's neck and held onto him a bit more tightly than he realized. 

The gunbladist finally began to stir as Zell's grip tightened. He yawned and slowly opened his eyes to a ruffled mass of blonde hair in his face. Zell pulled back just enough to look up at Seifer, making sure he was actually awake. 

“Morning,” the gunbladist mumbled with a tired smile as their eyes met. 

“Hey,” Zell tried to smile back, but there was still a sad look in his eyes that he was unable to hide. 

“What's wrong?” Seifer practically felt his stomach turn as he immediately began to think of the worst case scenario, that Zell regretted last night, or that he would suddenly decide this was a bad idea. 

“Nothin’,” the SeeD shrugged, eyes shifting to the side. “I just… I don't wanna leave yet, is all.” 

Seifer slowly exhaled in relief at the response. “Then don't. Stay in bed a little while. Who cares if you're late?” 

“I just don't want ‘em to think I went missin’ or something.” 

Seifer rolled his eyes. “You'll be fine. And besides,” he rolled on top of Zell, leaning down to kiss along the SeeD's neck, “I still need to give you a proper goodbye.” 

“Mm, I might have time for that,” Zell replied with a pleased sigh as he tilted his head for Seifer. 

After giving a playful bite, Seifer continued kissing his way up to the other’s jaw, then finally pressed their lips together in a heated kiss. Zell slid his arms around Seifer, holding him close as he eagerly rolled his hips upward. 

Just as Seifer began trailing his hand down to Zell's waist, the door suddenly burst open, and Watts’ voice cut in, “Sir, we need to--!” 

His sentence was cut off by a gasp once he realized what he was interrupting. Seifer immediately glared over his shoulder to see that Zone was there too, about to double over in stomach pain. Before he could bark at them to leave, however, Zell reacted first. 

In a panic, the martial artist gave an embarrassingly shrill yelp as he flipped Seifer away from him and ducked beneath the covers. Not expecting the shove, Seifer fell off-balance and was knocked flat on the floor. 

“Dammit, chicken wuss!” he grumbled as he reached for a pillow, using it to cover his important bits as he pulled himself to his feet. “It's too late. They already saw.” 

Zell slowly peered over the covers, only exposing his eyes and nose as he awkwardly glanced around the room and mumbled a quick, “Sorry,” to Seifer. 

“You two…!” Watts exclaimed, pointing between the two of them. “You finally…! Congratulations, Sir!!” 

“About time,” Zone chimed in as he overcame his shock - and his stomach cramps. 

Wearing nothing but a strategically-held pillow, Seifer still maintained his usual intimidating demeanor as he continued to glare down Zone and Watts. “Why the HELL are you idiots still here?” 

“It's very important, Sir,” Watts replied, turning away as he spoke to offer them at least some privacy. 

“Someone better be dying.” 

“No, nothing that serious,” Zone said. Seeing the scowl on Seifer's face, he quickly added, “But the town needs you!” 

“The town can wait another hour.” Seifer smirked as he glanced at Zell, who still refused to hold the blankets any lower than his chin. 

“Nah, it's fine,” Zell spoke up. “They kinda ruined the mood, anyway.” At this point, he couldn't shake the idea that Zone and Watts knew exactly what they were up to, which made the situation bit too awkward for Zell. 

Seifer paused to shoot Zell a look of disapproval before giving a sigh of defeat. “Fine. But give us a minute to put some clothes on.” 

As Zone and Watts hurried out of the room, Seifer dropped the pillow and grabbed the blankets, yanking them away from Zell. “Come on. We need a shower.” 

It wasn't exactly the sort of morning either of them had been looking forward to, but they still managed to enjoy their last few moments alone. As the warm water coursed over their bodies, it quickly washed away the memory of that awkward interruption just moments ago. Zell allowed his eyes to wander over Seifer's body, and before long, the gunbladist had Zell pressed back against the wall, writhing desperately at his touch. 

They weren't really able to savor the moment as they had hoped, knowing that people were waiting for them, but it was better than nothing. Once they were both satisfied, they finished cleaning up and left the shower to get dressed. 

As soon as they left the train, Zone and Watts were right outside, waiting. 

Seifer folded his arms over his chest, standing tall over the others. “Now, what was worth ruining my morning?” 

“Well, today is Timber’s first full day of liberation, as you know, of course,” Zone replied, “and the town is looking for some sort of leadership, so--” 

“I'm not leading anything,” Seifer immediately cut in. 

“Are you sure? Everyone looks up to you as a hero, I'm sure you could--” 

“I said no,” Seifer emphasized with a glare. “But I’ll still be here to help rebuild.” 

Zell's eyes widened, suddenly hit with an idea. “Hey, yeah! I bet you guys are gonna need some help re-establishing Timber and all that! Maybe I should stick around for a couple more days? Just in case Galbadia tries to pull some kind o’ funny business.” 

“The contract was only good as long as Timber was under Galbadian control,” Seifer replied. “Don't you dare go AWOL for my sake.” 

“But--!” Zell started before he knew what he wanted to say. As it turned out, he had nothing to argue against that, so he slumped his shoulders with a sigh of defeat. “I guess you're right…” 

“C’mon.” Seifer reached out to ruffle that spiky blonde hair. “I'll walk you to your train.” 

The platform for Balamb wasn't a far walk, but Zell shoved his hands in his pockets, moving at a slow pace, for once. He really wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye, but it was impossible to delay his return to Garden any longer. 

They reached the platform early, giving them a few minutes longer to say their goodbyes. Seifer glanced down at Zell to see an expression on his face that closely resembled a kicked puppy. 

“What?” The gunbladist frowned, not entirely sure how to handle these emotions. For the first time in his life, he wished Zell wouldn't be so quiet. It was too weird. “Don't look at me like that.” 

Without warning, Zell lunged forward, throwing his arms around Seifer's neck in an enthusiastic hug. Not at all surprised by the martial artist's usual high level of energy, Seifer managed to maintain his footing as Zell nestled his head under the other man's chin. 

“S’not fair,” he grumbled, clinging tightly to Seifer. 

Seifer held him close, gently nuzzling the top of Zell's head. “I told you this isn't over. Last night was good, chicken wuss. Can't expect me to give this up so soon.” He teasingly grabbed a handful of Zell's rear. 

The SeeD jumped, swatting Seifer away. “Someone might see!” 

“So let them.” Seifer pulled Zell close again. “Let them know that you're mine now, and I'm not sharing.” 

“Ya mean it?” Zell's eyes brightened as he looked up at Seifer with a grin. “‘Cause I don't wanna share, either!” 

Seifer replied with a little smirk as he pulled Zell into one last deep kiss. The martial artist was still a little self-conscious about these public displays of affection, but he quickly relaxed in Seifer's arms and happily kissed him back. 

The train finally pulled into the station, but Zell wasn't ready to let go just yet. They slowly broke the kiss, lingering for a moment as the doors to the train car slid open to accept passengers. 

“You should go,” Seifer mumbled softly against Zell's lips. 

The smaller blonde frowned as he nodded in agreement. He paused for another quick kiss before finally taking a few steps towards the train. “I better see you soon, asshole!” 

“Count on it, chicken wuss.” Seifer gave one of his rare, genuine smiles as he watched Zell board the train that would soon put an entire ocean between them. 

\------------- 

After a brief visit to his mother's house, Zell headed straight to the Headmaster’s office once he returned to Garden, where Cid and Squall were both expecting him. 

Zell gave a quick salute, then proceeded to report a successful assignment, just the way he had been trained to do. He did, however, conveniently leave out the identity of the “rebel leader” as he outlined the missions carried out by the Forest Owls. By now, it was likely that Garden already received reports of the man being celebrated as Timber’s hero, but Zell wasn't entirely sure how to address that particular topic. 

Squall, however, didn't hesitate to bring it up. “We received intel that Seifer was responsible for Timber’s liberation.” 

The look on Zell's face easily confirmed that the reports were correct. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and glanced off to the side as he answered, “He kinda… sorta was the rebel leader I mentioned.” 

Squall folded his arms as he silently gave Zell a look of disapproval. He wondered why would Zell try to hide such an important detail like that, but there was no need to voice the question out loud. The martial artist continued rambling all on his own. 

“But he's changed, I swear!” In an instant, Zell was suddenly face-to-face with Squall. He tightly gripped his friend’s shoulders as he continued begging. “He feels REAL bad about what happened, and he's trying to do good things to make up for it, so you gotta promise you won't go after him!” 

In one smooth motion, Squall casually waved Zell away and rested his forehead in his hand with a sigh. It was strange to see Zell, of all people, advocating for Garden’s notorious bully-turned-traitor. Squall glanced up and shared a brief look with Cid, who gave a wordless nod in response before turning back to Zell. 

“If what you say is true,” the Headmaster replied, “then it sounds as though he will do more good out there, helping the people of Timber, than locked up in a Garden interrogation room. We will not pursue, for now.” 

“But,” Squall added in a cold, steely tone, “we will be keeping a close eye on him.” 

The expression on Zell's face immediately lit up as he jumped into the air with a victorious fist pump. “AWW, YEAAHHH!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!” 

Squall raised an eyebrow at Zell's extremely unusual behavior, but he was never one to stick his nose in other people's business, so he merely responded with a simple, “Dismissed.” 

The following days, Zell tried to go about his usual routines, but he couldn't stop thinking about Seifer. Was he safe? How much longer would it be until they saw each other again? Or what if Seifer changed his mind? Zell did his best to act like his usual self, but his friends easily noticed that something was off. He seemed more spaced out than usual, and his sighs had grown heavy. Whenever someone asked him what was wrong, Zell insisted it was nothing, but it was obvious that something must have happened during Zell's mission. 

One evening, Zell returned to his dorm to see that his door had been left unlocked. It couldn't have been a mistake. He was very particular about who he allowed in his room, so he always made sure to lock it whenever he left. Fists clenched, Zell carefully entered his dorm, wary of whoever opened his door. 

The room wasn't very big, so it only took him a moment to spot Seifer, who stood to greet him as soon as he heard the door open. 

In an instant, Zell dropped his guard and rushed forward with a loud exclamation as he leapt into the other man’s arms. Seifer was prepared for that exact reaction and easily caught him as they reunited. 

“Miss me?” Seifer smirked as Zell latched onto him. 

“I hardly even thought about ya,” the martial artist lied with a wide grin plastered on his face. 

“Is that so?” Seifer raised an eyebrow. “Then I guess I'll just have to tell Squall he wasted my time calling me here for nothing.” 

Zell curiously tilted his head to the side. “Squall? What d’you mean?” 

“Your friends are worried about you,” Seifer explained. “Said you haven't been the same since Timber, been moping around like a kid who dropped his ice cream in the dirt. So, they reached out to me to find out what happened.” 

“You didn't tell--?!” Zell's eyes widened in fear. 

“Chicken wuss, don't tell me you're _ashamed_ of the time we spent together,” Seifer gasped, faking offense. 

“NO! No, I just… I dunno how…” 

“Relax,” the gunbladist chuckled. “I didn't tell. I just told ‘em I'd come see what's wrong, so here I am. Squall let me right in.” 

Unable to hide how completely thrilled he felt about this entire situation, Zell knocked Seifer backward onto the bed and leaned down for an eager kiss. Now that Seifer was here with him again, Zell didn't want to let go. He trailed his lips up Seifer's jaw to impatiently bite at his earlobe, which earned him a soft chuckle from the gunbladist. 

“You're acting like you haven't seen me in ages. It's only been a few weeks.” 

“Felt a lot longer,” Zell replied as he slowly sat up to give Seifer a mischievous grin. “But I can stop, if ya want.” 

“Don't you dare,” Seifer practically growled as he pulled Zell down into another heated kiss. 

As their lips pressed together once again, Zell realized how foolish he had been to worry all this time. Seifer did promise that they would see each other again, but this relationship was so new, he had no idea what to expect. To see Seifer show up in his dorm like this, Zell was completely reassured that this wasn't just a one-time fling. He would have never expected to have this type of relationship with his old bully, but now, he wouldn't dream of being with anyone else. Zell was absolutely positive that they really could make this work, and he couldn't wait to spend the coming months - maybe years, even - with Seifer by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, it's over! I considered thinking up more things to write just to make it an even 10 chapters, but I'm so lazy, so 9 it is. And to get a little cheesy for a moment... THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU for reading this! I genuinely appreciate all the feedback and views/kudos and all that. I really wasn't sure anybody would read this, because I have no idea how many people out there still enjoy this pairing like I do, and I'm so happy to see that I'm not alone! This is the first full fanfiction aside from a oneshot I managed to actually COMPLETE. I'm usually too impatient or lazy, so writing multiple chapters rarely goes as planned for me. But I did it! And hopefully in the future I can find more inspiration to write more for this pairing, whether it's oneshots or more full fanfics! So yes! tl;dr but thank you all for reading! <3333

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't let me drop this. I don't usually do works with chapters or installments because I get lazy and forget them and just. WHEEEZE seriously. Bother me to finish this. Rated Teen and Up for now, but might get heated later, ohoho~


End file.
